The Longest Week: A Girls Und Panzer story
by Montysmypython
Summary: Shells after shells crashes into the hill, an the enemy force appear's on the horizon, the enemy must be stopped. They must hold their ground what ever the cost may be. For seven violent days and seven sleepless nights, they will fight the onslaught that is coming their way. But something is wrong, something isn't right. It will be ... their Longest Week.
1. Chapter 1: The start of the beginning

**Warming!: This story has some strong language and graphic scenes throughout.**

**The Longest Week **

**Chapter 1: The start of the beginning**

The day was a golden one, a warm breeze with not a cloud in sight. In one of the meeting rooms of the Japan Sensha-Dō Federation Headquarters, the air flowed freely throughout the space as the skybox above them flooded the room with beautiful rays of light. All the Commanders were seated about a long rectangular table, talking amongst themselves, about why this meeting was called and why the other schools were not invited.

"This could be the new rules on open-topped vehicles?" said Katyusha, questioning the table.

"Please be that, as I really want to whoop your ass with our Hellcats." Kay mocked.

"You wouldn't stand a chance against us Kay. When the cold rolls in, your crew would refuse to get in them, they would know they would stand no chance against Pravda."

"Katyusha you seem to be the person gullible enough to buy a lifetime supply of oxygen."

As Kay and Katyusha argued over who was better. Maho and Miho talked about the last fight against the University team, which started getting a bit heated.

"Look, I'm just saying that you couldn't have done this without our help especially at the end." Maho remarked forcefully. "It did help that at the start you played right into their hands, why didn't we start in the city?"

"Maho we won ok, please don't be mad at me."

"Sometimes you are a real stain to the Nishizumi name."

Darjeeling remained quiet, sipping on her tea.

There was a drum at the door the bronze handle curled downwards and there appeared was a familiar face, a tall and well-built man bald, with a thin pencil moustache, coffee brown eyes. He wore dark grey and black academic robes it was, Shichiro Kodama. With a large roll of what seemed to be a map under his arm.

All became quiet, they stood up and bowed to him.

"Thank you girls, you may be seated." They did.

"The Japan Sensha-Dō Federation board decided on scrapping the idea of bringing back the Winter Continuous Track Cup."

"What? why?" Kay asked.

"But instead have decided on a new format to draw in huge views from around the world, to show the great skill and prowess of the Japan Sensha-Dō Federation. A week-long battle, day." he paused. "…and night!"

"This is why you are all here, only the most prestigious schools have been selected. St Gloriana's Girls academy with commander Darjeeling. Saunders University High school with Kay as commander, Pravda Girls High school with Katyusha as commander, Ooarai Girl's Academy with Miho as commander and Kuromorimine Girls Academy with Maho as commander for the last time before leaving for university in Germany. Famous names known worldwide."

"You will be split into two teams..."

"…team one will consist of St Gloriana's Girls academy, Saunders University High school and Ooarai Girl's Academy. And team two will consist of Pravda Girls High school and Kuromorimine Girls Academy, this gives team two a numerical advantage but hear me out…the battle takes place on the smallest ever battlefield about, 30 square miles." He said rolling out the map which spanned the length of the table. "The aim of the match is for team two to take all objectives e.g. take this hill, take this gun position and press on until they reach team one's HQ. But all objectives must be taken and held for a certain time before they can move on. Team one's job is to hold out for as long as possible if the HQ of team one isn't taken Team one wins, and vice versa. Any questions?"

"Destroyed tanks? What happens to them?" Miho asked.

"Tanks cannot be reused so if you need more, use your own stocks or must borrow from your allies, crews of those tanks can return back to the HQ and given a chance to fight again. Unless, of course, you were the remainder and so ends in defeat, the opposition wins the match."

"This might be a long shot, but open-topped vehicles?" Kay questioned with a hint of optimism.

"Not this time." Shichiro Kodama said back.

"Damn."

"Ha, ha."

"Shut it Katyusha. Will see on the battlefield."

"Are we all in agreement?" Shichiro inquired, eyebrows arisen in anticipation.

All the girl's nodded eagerly.

"The match will begin in a months' time so decide your strategies and commanders, maps will be sent to all schools and more info will come regarding objectives soon enough. "

He rolled up the map and began walking out with a spring in his step and opening the door to leave but stopped. "Oh, and before I forget the winning team will receive three times the extra funding, for next years semester." He closed the door behind him.

The room was silent as schemes filled the heads of all the commanders.

Darjeeling put down her tea. "Well then, every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end."

Nearly a month passed and more information had come to hand. HQ's were where stocks of tanks, supplies and barracks would be and was a strict no-fire zone, not even practice shooting was allowed. If you decided to camp out of the HQ it was at your own risk. For team one they had two HQ's, one was the actual HQ, the other about a mile or two south of them was the Objective HQ. The same rule applied here to about being at your own risk for camping.

The map was a European themed map with hedgerows, valleys, hills, a town, river and even an airfield. The objectives where set team two had to capture 3 points any objective could be taken in any order, but had to be taken before capturing the HQ. However, once an objective was captured and held after its allocated time team one could not retake the objective once captured. The objectives were:

The airfield and to be held for 12 hours.

A town which had to be held for 24 hours.

And finally a church on a hill which had a commanding view of the battlefield which was the closer to team two's HQ than team one's as the crow flies, however the only road lead from the hill north and there was no bridge to cross opposite the hill for team two, so had to use the bridges in the east or west, hill had to be held for 6 hours.

Last was the objective HQ which had to be taken and held for only 1 hour.

Team one decided it was best to have a defensive minded person in charge. So, Darjeeling was chosen with Miho and Kay as vice's, they would command their schools on the tactical level, whilst Darjeeling was in charge of the operational level. Saunders forces would take the church known as "Winston" as code. Ooarai would take the town as they love an urban battle, known as "Belfast" And St Gloriana would hold the airfield known as "Spitfire." The HQ objective being known as "Rorke's Drift."

The plan was to hold and play for a game of attrition and use the objectives as bate with kill zones around them or in the objectives. As there were thick hedgerows leading towards objective spitfire ambushes would be set up, a bridge crossing the river which was 1 mile south of objective Belfast also would be a kill zone.

* * *

**D-Day-1 time (18:00)**

Assam walks in with Sarah into Darjeeling's manor house office; Darjeeling was sipping on her tea looking out of the window with Orange Pekoe making a new hot brew of tea.

"The Intelligence is very interesting Darjeeling." Assam said.

"How so."

Sarah placed the document on Darjeeling's desk.

"It seems they are not talking." Assam said.

"They didn't even meet up for a strategy meeting, not even a phone call." Sarah added.

Darjeeling continued looking out of the window.

"You know what that means."

"Maho and Katyusha can't trust each other. Or they are trying to deceive our intelligence." Sarah queried.

"Yes, it is safer for them not to speak as we would find out but I think your first point is not too far off, they decided that there was no need, both teams would go it alone, using their own initiative." Darjeeling turned in her chair facing both Assam and Sarah. "This is bad news for us, as they will be even more vicious, to do one better than the other. Like two children trying to get the most attention of their mother, they will do anything, and everything to win this."

The door knocked, Rosehip and Rukuriri entered they bowed.

"All vehicles, supplies and crews have now safely arrived at the battlefield Darjeeling." Rukuriri spoke.

"Everything even the special?" Came Darjeeling's response.

"Yes, even that I've never seen the warehouse so empty before. Only tanks that can't be fixed in time are left." Said Rosehip.

"Good that means we have spares for tanks, if you can get the mechanics to box up all the broken tanks, so we can use them for spare parts for working tanks, as they will be no use to anyone here."

"Will do Darjeeling." Rukuriri said with a bow, "Rosehip if you can help assist me that would be great."

"Yes on the way." Rosehip bowed to Darjeeling, they both left the room.

"Once they are done with that, we will leave." Darjeeling sipped her tea and slowly turned her chair and looked out of the window "The road of life twists and turns and no two directions are ever the same. Yet our lessons come from the journey, not the destination."

* * *

**D-Day-1 time (20:00)**

In a black tinted car, driving along at a leisurely pace down a main road, the street lamps blurring into one continuous streak.

"Erika we have everything correct."

"Yes maps, pens, clothes, compass, binoculars and toiletries."

"Good, Erika as you know this will be my last battle before I depart." She turned her head and faced Erika, her brown strong and commanding eyes focused on Erika's face. "I want to win this; we need to prove the dominance of the Nishizumi style once again."

"Understood, Maho I won't fail you."

"We will work with Pravda, they will be the hammer but we will be the ones wielding it."

The car slowed. They opened the doors, with the Focke-Achgelis Fa 223 waiting for their presence.

* * *

**D-Day time (08:45) match will begin in 3 hours and 15 minutes**

Before all members could enter the battlefield, all phones and other electrical equipment was to be taken away by the JSF. Which made one person very angry. "But why do I have to give my phone in? I might have a future husband contact me. Do you hate love? Even with that silver wedding ring on?" Saori whinnied to one of the marshals. In a large mess area where all of team one was eating breakfast.

"You have till 9 am to hand them in or you do not participate it's up to you." He calmly responded back.

"You're lucky that my team needs me." She stomped her feet and walked away, over to Miho, Hana, Yukari and Mako seating eating bowls of rice and miso soup with orange juice.

"Any luck on the phone situation?" asked Hana.

"No!" she sat and crossed her arms.

"I'm guessing they don't want us to cheat which is fair." Miho said back trying to calm Saori down.

"But what if it's an emergency and he wants to ask me out on a date?"

"I think this mysterious man can wait seven days." Mumbled Mako.

"What did you say Mako?"

"You'll be live on TV for seven day's, you will get thousands of people wanting your number." Mako said back.

"That is so true Mako!"

Sarah looked at her phone, she was so happy to see that her dad and James would be here in person to watch the whole thing. Beth even sent her a message. 'Good luck, for tomorrow/today depending on when you read this. Everyone in Boston is backing you, you'll be live on the TV here you'll do amazing!'

She sat with the Chindits eating some toast and apple juice. She was shaking a little when lifting the glass with the liquid on top rippling to her mouth. Rosehip sat next to her.

"Your nervous, there is no need to be." As she put her arm around her shoulder.

"I don't want to mess it all up for you, or the other's this is my first proper battle and it's a massive one."

"If this was the real English Breakfast, I know she would be ready to take on the world no matter the odds and, anyway look over there." She pointed to Miho and her crew a couple of tables behind them. "We have her! The only battle she has lost is against St. Gloriana's so technically she can't lose as we are on her team. Meaning we can't lose." She said with a smile.

Sarah felt a little relived with this, Rosehip stuck out a hand. "Come with me." Sarah grasped her hand and Rosehip ran over towards Miho pulling over Sarah.

"I can't go over there Rosehip. She is very busy as it is." Trying to reason with her but Rosehip would not listen.

"I'm very sorry to bother you Miss Nishizumi." Bowing to the seated Miho. "But I wish to introduce you to my vice commander, English Breakfast." Sarah made eye contact with Miho and bowed to her as her beret slipped off.

Miho picked up her Beret from the floor. "That's a lovely hat you have here English Breakfast." She said in a cheerful way.

"Thank you, it's my lucky mascot. Miho it's a great pleasure to meet you in person and fight alongside you. You have been a great and complex person to study for tactics." She eagerly stuck out a hand for a handshake Miho grasped her hand and shook back.

"Do you mind if I put it on?" Miho asked pointing to the Beret.

"Yes, of course, be my guest." She placed it on her head. Saori began taking pictures.

"It looks really cool, is it a traditional tanker Beret?" Yukari asked Sarah.

"I think so, but obviously not the golden badge." Sarah smiled back. "That was gifted to me, long story short."

"I remember you." Yukari said straching her chin. "You caught me spying before the exhibition match just before the University match."

"Ah yes, Miss Vandeleur. Didn't Michael Caine play him in a bridge too far?" Sarah smiled to Yukari as they both giggled.

"Next time I'll think of a better name." Yukari stated back.

Sarah bit her lip then grind at her. "Maybe Frost or Horrocks."

Miho passed back the beret. Sarah then put it on with its traditional slant. "That does really suit you." Miho added.

"Thank you." Sarah responded with a bow, this time the beret stayed on.

"I would love to speak to you in the future, English Breakfast."

"ATTENTION ALL TANK CREWS PLEASE HAND IN YOU ELECTRICAL DEVICES IN NOW!" A loudspeaker said echoing around the hall. Marshals walked around with clear tubs with the logo of each school.

"PLEASE PLACE THEM IN A BAG WITH YOUR NAME WRITTEN ON AND PUT THEM IN THE CORRESPONDING SCHOOL! ANY CREW MEMBERS CAUGHT OUTSIDE THIS BUILDING WITH A DEVICE WILL BE BANNED FROM THE MATCH!"

Sarah quickly sent a message on her phone to James and her dad. "_Starting now will do my best" _

She found a clear plastic bag turned her phone off, placing her phone inside and wrote her name, on the bag with a permanent marker, she then placed it into the St. Gloriana tub which was filling up quickly; even Assam's laptop was not immune to this which was in there as well. Once this was done Darjeeling got onto the loudspeaker with a microphone in her hand and stood on a table. "Good Morning Ladies, I hope you are all well this morning and I wish to speak to all troop commanders and vice commanders, but before the rest of you go I wish to say I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty, and skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than full victory. Good Luck! And let us all beseech the blessing of Almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking." The mess hall emptied leaving about 20 students; the map was laid out with the corners being held down by bowls and glasses.

"I know this is going to sound repetitive but I wish for this first part of the battle to work like clockwork. The Chindits as they are the fastest tanks, they will take and hold Winston, until relieved by Kay and Naomi's company, Alisa's company is in reserve. Ooarai company will take Belfast, but push on and hold an overlook position on "Arnhem" Bridge also setting up a defensive fall-back line at Belfast. Rukuriri troop will push with my company to Spitfire and hold static defences in the hedgerows, with Chindits covering the western flank. Kay, Miho and the rest of you good luck."

* * *

**D-Day time (10:30) match will begin in 1 hours and 30 minutes**

"Are we in agreement Katyusha for our plan of attack?" Maho asked. The dark room they were in was small, it had no chairs only a table, all the windows were blocked out the only source of light was a single old tungsten light above them, Katyusha was sitting on Nona's shoulders looking down at the map on the table.

"The great Katyusha agrees. We will secure your flanks, taking the town and airfield with ease, as you take the objective on the hill."

"You better not let us down Katyusha."

"I could ask the same of you Maho. As you've become accustomed to failure, like the in the 62nd and 63rd tournament's, just remember who saved you in this battle." Katyusha added with an evil smile on her face.

"Don't you say that to commander Nishizumi! Kuromorimine never fails." Erika yelled back, walking out of the shadows in the corner of the room.

Katyusha Laughed and crossed her arms, then looked down onto Erika. "Do you know what nemesis means? A righteous infliction of retribution manifested by an appropriate agent, personified in this case by a horrible asshole, me." Every word oozed with malice.

Erika scowled at Katyusha her eyes filled with fire.

"Erika quite!" Maho barked at her, not facing Erika looking dead straight at Katyusha's authoritative face. "You speak when you are spoken too!"

"Yes Maho." Backing down as she walked back into the shadows.

"Then prove me wrong Maho take that hill by the 3rd day of battle if not well, we know what that means."

Maho stared at the grimacing face of Katyusha.

"What plans do you have in regards to your sister?" Katyusha questioned.

Maho walked around the table over to Katyusha, she cupped her hand over her mouth, Katyusha lent over covering Nona's ears and whispered something into Katyusha ear. Maho turned to leave the room and Erika followed, "I can't believe that, of all people. You would do something like that." Katyusha replied to Maho her grin enlarging brandishing her sharp teeth.

"It's the only way." Not facing Katyusha in a calculated tone, as Erika opened the door with the sun's light expanding into the room.

"The great Katyusha will agree to that."

Maho and Erika exited closing the door behind them of the small wooden outhouse.

"What a bitch." Erika said through her gritted teeth.

"Don't let her provocations get to you, that's how she sees weakness." Maho responded.

"Understood, I will learn from my mistake."

"And yes she is."

* * *

**D-Day time (12:00) match begins **

The smoke shell was fired adding a small artificial cloud into the slightly clouded sky.

The Chindits at the front of the HQ, exited speeding off like sprinters out of the blocks. Rosehips head was out of the turret leading the way with her crusader throwing up anything the tracks came in contact with. They drove past the Rorke's Drift a couple of miles down the main road, not stopping and continued to Winston. Sarah had her head out of her Cromwell binoculars around her neck at the ready, she had her mic in her hand her as the Cromwell kept up with the Crusaders but remained at the back of the line of 4 crusaders. "How's everyone doing?"

"All good English we're holding on for dear life but you take the rough with the smooth with being in the Chindits, quite Literally." Came the call back from Peppermint.

"I second that motion." Jasmine added.

"I'm loving every second, I don't know why you two are complaining." Honeybush remarked in unbridled joy. "Do you remember I said the Crusader was a racehorse, well then this is an Aston Martin, it's another level! Thank you English, for picking this tank!"

"I know you would like it my little speed demon." Sarah chuckled as the tank was thrown around as everyone held on.

"Winston in sight range 3 miles stay on the roads it's longer but faster." Rosehip said over the radio, with the square church bell tower dominating the landscape.

* * *

**D-Day time (12:48)**

"Blitz force here we are approaching the river." Came the call over the radio. Maho looked at her map seating in Tiger 212.

"Good wad the river and processed to the objective."

"Understood."

Blitz Force buttoned up their tanks to wad across the river, they charged at full speed the water getting up the sides of the turrets, all tanks had snorkels attached they continued and reached the other side of the bank.

"Blitz force we are across no casualties, proceeding to the objective."

* * *

**D-Day time (13:11)**

Rosehips crusader steamed up the hill with no trouble they reached the peak of the hill, the sun shining through the church bell tower, the tank drove up to the southern part of the hill to scout, her binoculars to hand, the tank peered over the lip. "Contact! Enemy 1 clicks out." Rosehip shouted urgently, she raised her binoculars. "5 Panzer III's looks to be the 50mm variety and 10 Panzer II's" The rest of the Chindits joined her. "All tanks fire on priority target the Panzer III's."

"Understood." Was the callback.

"Jasmine aim for the Panzer III's"

"Loaded."

"Hold."

"Fire." Came the call from Rosehip.

"Fire." Sarah called out.

The hill erupted with shells coming down the hill.

* * *

"Blitz Force here, we are under heavy fire from the objective. It looks to be Crusaders."

"Continue your advance, you know your mission commander." Maho spoke calmly as her tank rocked and rolled. "You are free to use your initiative."

"Understood. Tanks 6-10 flank to the east, Tanks 11-15 to the west, 2-5 continue with me to the objective."

* * *

"The Panzer II's are splitting east and west, Panzer III's continuing dead ahead," Rosehip spoke over the radio. "Green and Vanilla cover our flanks don't let the Panzer II's get on our rears that 20mm cannon would wreck the rear of our tanks." Two crusaders pulled back and set up an ambush for the flanking panzer II's

The crusader's 6 pounder shells screaming as they landed into the dirt of the rushing Panzer III's, Jasmine fired the 75mm shell hit one of the Panzer III's knocking it out, now the retaliatory bombardment was served back to them shells landing short hitting into the hill or flying over the church nearly taking out one of the filming drones. The closer they came, added more and more apprehension for Sarah. They reached the base of the hill and slowly climbed up, with the Panzer II's still circling around the base of the hill.

"Once we take out one more Panzer III I think it's time for us to play to our strengths." Rosehip said.

"Are you sure Rosehip." Sarah said a little apprehensive.

"Only a small splash and dash."

"Ok, understood." Sarah responded back nervously.

The Panzer III's where now half way up. Rosehip's crusader, crosshairs lined up with a Panzer III the 6 pounder easily knocked it out.

"Ok tanks with me pull back, English go to the left, Cranberry to the right." Rosehip then commanded, Sarah had never heard her this assertive before. "On my signal."

* * *

"Blitz Force here, tanks are retreating from the top hill the encirclement is almost complete."

"Understood commander." Maho had a little smile on her face "This will show Katyusha." She thought.

* * *

"Now!" Sarah's and Cranberry engines roared as the tanks galloped down the hill and swung into the sides of the Panzer III's with the turrets facing forwards at the top of the hill, while still remaining in their inverted V formation, Jasmine fired at point-blank range taking one out and moved her sights to the next one, Cranberry also took out her tank ahead of her. The last Panzer turned its turret to Sarah's Cromwell, her heart began to beat harder and faster, Rosehip Crusader charged straight down the hill directly down the throat of the last Panzer III, taking it out with one swift blow from the 6 pounder.

"Now back to the top Ladies the battle has only just begun." Rosehip said excitedly.

They regrouped; returning to the top of the hill with the Panzer II's now charging the northern, eastern and western parts of the hill simultaneously. Moving their tanks to intercept, Sarah's tank moved to the northern part all alone against three Panzer II's. Jasmine fired the 75mm, one of the panzers was taken out.

"Good hit Jasmine." Sarah said staying buttoned up in the tank.

"Unfortunately that wasn't me."

Sarah opened the hatch, down the main road towards Winston came a convoy of Sherman's with a firefly stopping on the side of the road, picking off the remaining Panzers.

"Sometimes if a jobs worth doing do it yourself. Is that something Darjeeling would say right Rosehip?" Kay spoke over the radio. The Sherman's moved up mopping up the last remaining Panzers, the Chindits fell back as Kay's hordes of Sherman's advanced up the hill to set up an encampment.

* * *

"Blitz force, our tank force have been destroyed by overwhelming tank support, it looks as if Saunders are now on the objective now."

Maho rubbed her forehead. "Gather all your crews and return back to HQ and find some new heavier tanks."

"Understood, Miss Nishizumi."

Maho's large tank force slowly rumbled to the eastern bridge, as long queues begin to build up due to the sheer volume of tanks.

* * *

**D-Day time (18:46)**

A tank drove out scouting in no man's land, the sun setting with the warm glow fading into the cold darkness of night over the horizon, the sky fading into a dark blue. The commander had her head out of the hatch, binoculars in hand. "Tank stop here" she called. The tank slowed and stopped, the silhouette of the tank was hard to miss on the backdrop of the dust sky. She looked through her binoculars; an orange globe came straight towards the side of the tank. Before she could warn her crew, the shell impacted the side with an omnipotent thud, the as the flag raised. Instantaneously an almighty explosion lifted the turret clear off the tank, throwing the commander cleanly out of the turret leaving her 5 metres away, with the turret landing about 2 meters from the now burning wreck, with ﬁre dancing around now decapitated tank.

The commander landed on her back, she tilted her head over to the side to see her tank, seeing the ﬂames and destruction she tried pushing herself up to get to her crew to see if anyone was alive, but couldn't move, the pain from her legs was immeasurable. She ran her hands down onto her legs; she felt a soft mushy substance below her knee with liquid drooling out, a jagged object on both legs sticking out. She moved her hands further down there was a sudden drop-off, her shins were gone. Her eyes became heavy and her body felt extremely cold as she cried for help. "Help me please someone please help! Mum! Dad! Please help." Her voice slowly turned into a whimper, as she as her life slowly seeped away into nothingness, her eyes closed and the darkness wrapped around her.

* * *

**A/N: If you haven't read my first 'Alexander the great' I would give a quick read to get a bit of backstory as this is a continuation of that story.**

**If you want a map to understand what the battlefield looks like, I've made a basic one, if you go to flickr and search username - ****Montysmypython**** it's there.**

**So a week long battle everyone whats to time, the Chindit's holds the hill, and a tank has been obliterated ****who, ****how, what and why? **

**Hopefully, you have enjoyed the first chapter this is a new direction for this story arch, and I have some good ideas that I'm looking forward to putting into words. So, in contrast to 'Alexander the great'. 'The longest week' will have longer chapters but less frequent uploads maybe one or two chapters a month.  
**

**If you want to give me some feedback please leave a review its always appreciated. **


	2. Chapter 2: D-Day plus 1

**Chapter 2: D-DAY + 1**

**D-Day + 1 time (07:28)**

The orange fireball rose slowly from the ground into the sky, light washing away the darkness to reveal the new day. After the previous day attack on Winston, every other sector was quite apart for a few light skirmishes with very little lose's on both sides.

"A message from Darjeeling, Miho." Saori said with her headphones on. She translated the coded message onto a piece of paper, and passed it to her through the tank to Miho seating in her commanders' seat, she took the paper and read.

_All combat areas have been light for combat expect a heavy attack's today_.

Miho opened the commander's hatch and looked at her defensive position over Arnhem bridge. Her tanks were set up on the opposite slope of the valley, so they could not be seen by the opposing side of the river valley, with bushes and trees along the top of the ridge. As soon as the enemy was spotted, they would move up to the top and remaining hidden the foliage and place accurate fire onto the tanks advancing onto the bridge, hopefully knocking out all tanks in the process.

"Has any tanks been spotted in our sector." Miho called over the radio relaxed but commanding tone.

"We've seen nothing Miho." Duck team responded.

"Nothing here." Turtle team said back.

Miho sat back in her seat then looked at her map she pinned with magnets on the inside of the turret.

"They must be hiding behind that ridge on the other side." Hana said as she looked over from her gunners' seat.

"They need to take this bridge Miho; the river is too deep and wide to ford here. Or they can risk crossing the river at Winston as the river is shallower there, like what we saw yesterday with the fighting with the Chindits on Winston, but now Saunders's is there they will get massively bombarded as soon as they cross. It won't be easy." Yukari added as she pointed to the points on the map with confidence brimming.

Miho didn't smile she looked very concerned "But who and what is behind that ridge. We are low in numbers so I don't want to risk scouting."

"Whomever they are and in, we can take them! If we hold this strong defensive position." Yukari said defiantly passing her a cup of coffee.

"Thank Yukari." As she took the coffee and sipped on the hot drink as the caffeine began to pulse through her body. "But if Winston fall's our flank is exposed and we're done for. The pressure on Kay must be eminence." Miho explained.

* * *

**D-Day + 1 Time (10:54)**

"Orange pekoe you always do make a perfect brew you know." As Darjeeling sat on the top of her Churchill's turret, behind a hedgerow with dark shadows being cast over the Churchill by neighbouring trees. The St Gloriana tanks were dug in well into the thick hedgerows they were about 3 metres high at some points with 1 meter-high earthworks below making them hard to traverse over, making this the best place for a close-range ambush.

"I learnt from the best." She said back with a smile passing Darjeeling the teacup with the hot brew as the steam peacefully dissipated. "Any ideas what's going to happen?"

"They have to come through here or drive through the flat plain to our east to get shot up from Kay's troop from Winston and also the Chindits near Winston. This won't be easy for our enemy."

The radio chattered with noise. "Rukuriri here, T-34's advancing down the main road now. Strength 10 tanks."

Darjeeling slid back into her tank tea in hand and grabbed the microphone with her spare hand. "Understood, remain calm stick to the plan Rukuriri."

The T-34's rumbled down the middle part of the two-lane main road guns facing in all directions.

"The last T-34 has passed the curve in the main road they have no supporting tanks following. No shots have been fired." Rukuriri stated.

Darjeeling sipped her tea and closed her eyes. To enjoy the last couple of moments of peace before the battle exploded into life. "All tanks prepare to attack specified targets." She spoke elegantly as she reopened them as they twinkled in the sunlight from the open hatch.

The Matilda's well camouflaged 2 pounder guns began to traverse behind the hedgerow's tracking their prey with the engines off and the gunners using manual traverse, the T-34's drove unbeknownst into a trap.

"You may begin bombardment as planned." Darjeeling spoke placing the teacup down as she looked out of her hatch.

"All tanks fire." Rukuriri commanded to her troop. Shots from behind the hedgerows shot out as the dull thud of metal hitting metal rang out.

"The last tank has been destroyed."

"Lead tank has been knocked out." came the calls from two different commanders.

"Lovely ladies, the jam is always the sweetest thing in a Victoria sponge cake." Darjeeling spoke over the radio to the whole team. "Now, destroy the rest of the column." Her calm tone making her sound malevolent for the devastation her force was about to unleash.

The shells began firing indiscriminately, The T-34's could not fall back or forward due to the wrecks of their fallen comrades blocking the road, they were now lambs for the slaughter. They fired back in the directions with rushed shots hoping to destroy any of the attackers.

Darjeeling glided back into the Churchill commanders seat, as it remained out of the battle and listened to the radio and to the raging battle happening only a couple of hundred meters away.

"That was a great plan Darjeeling." Assam spoke softly, looking over to Darjeeling.

"They have sown the wind and they shall reap the whirlwind." She added picking up her teacup "I based this plan on Michael Wittmann's attack at Villers-Bocage, those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."

"George Santayana if I am not mistaken Darjeeling." Orange pekoe said with a smile.

"I can never get a proverb passed you Orange.."

"THIS IS AN EMERGENCY ONE TANK HAS BEEN HIT!" Rukuriri said with real concern in her voice.

Darjeeling placed her teacup down and looked out of the hatch, one of the Matilda's was burning badly. The whole crew was out next to the still burning tank, but some were clearly injured. Darjeeling seeing this immediately climbed out of the safety of her tank and ran over to them with the battle still raging with shells still screaming overhead.

"Is everyone ok?" Darjeeling asked imperatively as she reached the crew of the blazing Matilda still huddled around the tank too from shelter from the still raging battle.

"Yes, everyone is mostly ok." The tank commander said still in shock, he black hair covering her face. "Our driver is the worst off, she's got some bad burns on her legs as we dragged her out. We were so close to the earthworks it was no easy task getting her out quick. It was my fault Darjeeling." The commander's guilt-ridden voice answered back.

Darjeeling looked at the driver laying on the floor, writhing in pain with exposed legs with black and red burn marks along her thigh and calves.

"Ok, we need to move now! The tank might explode any second." She put her hand on the driver's cheek, the driver looked at her. "I am so sorry, but this is going to hurt ok." The driver nodded.

"You grab her legs." Pointing to the commander. "I'll lift her by her shoulders."

"Yes, Miss Darjeeling."

"1,2,3 lift." They lifted her off the floor, the driver screamed and groaned, moving her all the way back behind Darjeeling's Churchill, giving her some cover from the ongoing battle with Assam and Orange Pekoe heads out of the turret observing what was happening.

"Assam, get the first aid. Orange tell the driver not to move at all and call for medical assistance."

They slowly settled her down, Assam jumped off with a large khaki bag with a red cross in a white circle, and she rummaged through the bag.

The Matilda hissed as flames surged out of the open hatches as the ammo began to detonate, leaving black smoke to bellow out for the devastated tank.

"We need some cold water as much as possible." Assam said pulling out some cling film wrap. Darjeeling opened up one of the storage boxes with flasks of water in them and passed to Assam who slowly poured the cooling liquid on her legs, the driver screamed more and more, tears rolling down her face, the commander held her hand.

"Its fine Darjeeling's here, Masala you're in safe hands ok." The commander said looking back at the driver's agony filled face.

"Darjeeling, we need more water, the burns are worse than I thought." Assam said urgently as she poured the last drops on water onto the scalded skin.

She looked through the whole box all the water was gone. She climbed up into the tank and peered her head into the open commanders' hatch.

"Orange how long will they be?" Darjeeling asked hurriedly.

"ETA 2 minutes." Orange responded back looking up at Darjeeling.

"Ok, tell Rukuriri to disengage from the enemy and get them here now, I care more for my crew's than I would ever do for any match." Darjeeling commander with real forcefulness behind it.

"All tanks disengage now this is a direct order from Darjeeling and converged on the Churchill's position." Orange pekoe said over the radio.

All the tanks fell back and moved to the Churchill. No one called on the radio why they had to disengage from such an advantageous position in the battle, all did what they were told. The tanks stopped around the Churchill all commanders had their heads out of the turret.

"This is an emergency; no shots are to be fired and no tanks to move until told to continue." Said a calm male voice over all the radio frequencies.

"I need all the water you have! This is an emergency!" All commanders scavenged their tanks, then passing flasks over to Assam. All the commanders were a little shocked by what they saw, with large yellow blisters beginning to appear around the worst parts of the burns, Assam then slowly wrapped her legs in the cling film, the screams of pain making some of the commanders cry out of sympathy. The white Huey helicopter landed in a clear field next to them, the medics examined her, with one of the medic's ring sparkling in the sunlight. They asked Assam what she had done, then lifted the driver slowly onto a stretcher and carried her over to the awaiting helicopter, which lifted into the air throwing dirt and shrubbery from the wash of the rota's.

The commander of the destroyed tank sat on the floor head on her knees her hands wrapped around the bottom of her legs her long black hair covering her whole upper body. Darjeeling walked over to her and crouched next to her, she could hear her sobbing. "Lady Grey, you did nothing wrong, you and your crew are heroes. You saved her from a burning inferno, think about what would have happened if you didn't?" She spoke consolingly.

"Thank you, Darjeeling, that means a lot, but she is a first year. I caused it to happen. I should have known better." The commander said with remorse's pouring out of every word.

Darjeeling put her hand through her hair, placing her hand under her chin and gently lifted, she gazed into the commanders grieved eyes through the thick black fringe. "We are products of our past, but we don't have to be prisoners of it." She hugged her. "You and your crew will return to HQ, you've had a stressful day."

"Yes Darjeeling. But how did you know my name?" Lady Grey asked as she wiped her tears with her sleeve.

"You are all my family, I'm the grandmother, the tank commanders are my children and you are the mother of your crew, and they are my grandchildren. I have to look after everyone that I love." Darjeeling stood up and helped Lady Grey get to her feet.

"All tanks can resume combat." Came the call on the radio.

Darjeeling stood and looked at her commanders, "Everyone thank you, we will win the match for Masala. She would not want us to fail and I'm sure we won't as that isn't the St Gloriana way."

* * *

**D-Day + 1 Time (11:22)**

"What do you mean! How could you lose 8 tanks!" Katyusha yelled on the radio snapping a pencil in the process.

"We were ambushed in the hedgerows we barely made it out, if that emergency didn't happen, there would be no tanks." Came the response back from the commander of the troop.

"Are you talking back to me Polina?!" Katyusha barked back.

"No ma'am I would never." Polina said back with fear in her voice.

"Good you will lead the charge with 20 other tanks on the flat plain of section J6 and swing in behind the hedgerow's destroying the enemy and taking the airfield objective you will begin your advance at 1400 hours." Katyusha stated clearly. "Is this understood!"

"Yes, great Katyusha." Katyusha then switched frequencies.

"Nonna is operation Little Saturn ready." Reverting back to a calm but extremely arrogant tone.

"Yes, all target zones have been ranged and will proceed on your command."

"Good, begin operation Little Saturn at 1430 hours."

"Yes Katyusha, as you wish." Katyusha stood up on her commander's seat looking at the large ridge ahead of her, with a huge task force with crews preparing their tanks for battle.

"Finally Polina, you will be of use to me you useless retard, being the pouching bag you always should have been. While the mighty Pravda, shows its strength in battle as we become victorious on the field once again." She thought in her head.

* * *

**D-Day + 1 Time (13:47)**

"Do you see anything up there Alisa?" Kay called over on her walkie talkie looking up at the bell tower as she walked towards the church.

"Not a lot from up here still the same Kuromorimine tanks down by the river near the farmhouse." Alisa called back looking through her binoculars through the slits in the bell tower.

"If anything else changes let me know."

"Will do." Alisa responded back.

"Oh, and don't start praying now you're in a church. Because I'm still your god here missy." Kay remarked with a little sass in her voice.

"Yer, yer." Alisa said back, Kay could sense Alisa's eyes rolling, as she chuckled to herself.

Kay strapped the walkie talkie to her belt, and entered the nave of the church, with some crew members sleeping on the pews, as the sunlight shone beautiful colours through the stained-glass window, mixing with the dust in the air to create magnificent beams of lights. She walked through to the chancel with a table set up in the middle with the map with Naomi pinning pieces of paper on the map.

"So, what do we have so far." Kay asked, as she stopped crossing her arms, as she looked at the map.

Naomi pointed to the map, north of the river near the western bridge, with pins with paper notes attached to them, that had tank models and the amount, "Tiger II's and I's etc. The whole shebang basically, they are sitting back at the moment I have no idea why. They are out of range for our guns, but we are in range for theirs so our tanks will have to stay back from the edges for the moment." Naomi clarified.

Kay lent back on the stone brick wall of the chancel, placing one of her boots on the it "The good thing is though having the high ground, we can shoot down on them, I have the sneaking suspicion that even the 75mm can pen the top of a Tiger II's engine deck once they come knocking."

"Did you get the message from Darjeeling." Naomi queried as she looked up to Kay.

"The one this morning, yep it was a bit obvious."

"No, the one about the accident?"

Kay lent of the wall and walked over to Naomi "No what happened?" She replied back with deep apprehension overlaid her voice.

"One of the Matilda's got brewed up pretty badly, the driver was lucky enough to be saved, but with bad 3rd degree burns to her legs."

"Poor girl. Hopefully, she will be up and running in no time, excusing the pun." As a small grin appeared on Kay's face.

The walkie talkie crackled to life. "Tanks crossing the river 20+ Pravda tanks."

"Let the fun begin." Kay ran out of the chancel into the nave with Naomi by her side.

"Get up you lazy sons of bitches they're coming." Kay screamed her loudest echoing around the room.

Girls began to wake up throwing on helmets and jackets, running to their tanks.

"You can't use words like that in a church Kay." Naomi shouted as she ran in the opposite direction to her Firefly.

"Don't worry Naomi, we will have a long discussion about this in hell." She exclaimed back with a smile on her face. She climbed into her Sherman and grabbed the microphone and placed her headphones over one of her ears.

"Tank's move up to the lip of the ridge. I think it's time to show them our firepower doctrine."

The walkie talkie crackled again. "They are moving to the east of the hill, but west of the hedgerows on the plain, they're heading straight for the Chindits! They stand no chance!" Alisa called.

"Understood Alisa." Kay picked up the microphone to the radio twisting the tuner to a set frequency.

"Winston calling, Winston calling, broadside to port. I repeat broadside to port. Cruiser squadron flank speed. I repeat Cruiser squadron flank speed."

"Understood Winston. Cruiser squadron flank speed." Was the callback.

Kay switched the radio settings back. "Ok Ladies let's liberate them from their tanks."

The hill bombarded the attacking Pravda tanks, which was an amalgamation of T-34's of different varieties; KV-1's BT-5's and even an IS-1. The tanks advanced not stopping firing the odd shot back in the hopes of hitting one of Saunders well dug in tanks atop of the hill.

* * *

**D-Day + 1 Time (14:08)**

"Rosehip so why do you think that. It makes no logical sense." Green was saying over the radio laid back with no care in the world.

"Think about it if we put 20mm cannons on this tank like the AA version we would be lighter, meaning we could be faster and we could sort out any light tanks with ease. English your opinion on this." Rosehip said back, sitting inside the turret, as she sipped on her tea very relaxed.

"Winston calling, Winston calling, broadside to port. I repeat broadside to port. Cruiser squadron flank speed. I repeat Cruiser squadron flank speed."

Rosehip immediately picked up the microphone. "Understood Winston. Cruiser squadron flank speed."

She climbed out of the copula and stood up on her tank hidden behind some bushes along with the other Chindits. "Oh god." She said dropping her teacup as it smashed on the side of the turret, as Pravda's tanks approached at full speed directly ahead of them only 1 click away, she jumped back in.

"Multiple heavy enemy contacts ahead at least 20! full back to the western slope of Winston!" Rosehip commanded. The tanks drove at full speed to the slope of the hill with Rosehips upper body out of the turret somehow holding as the tank sprinted to safety with Sanders bombardment covering their withdrawal. A shell then slammed into the side of the lead crusader with Rosehip tank following at full speed only 10 meters behind. "DRIVER RIGHT STICK!" Rosehip yelled at her driver, the tank suddenly veered to the right, mostly dodge the wreck shirring off some of the side skirts of the left side of the hull.

"Vanilla is down, watch out for the wreck." Rosehip called "Once over the ridge turnabout and fire everything we can't let them flank Spitfire."

The tanks sped over the ridge at some speed, getting airborne at one point all the tanks drifted and turned around, returning to the ridge in a hull down position facing the rushing hordes of Pravda tanks now side on to them.

"Rosehip this is Kay, have the Chindits withdrawn correct?"

"Yes, we have, we are bombarding the enemy now." Rosehip said back a little breathless. "All tanks fire on the enemy."

The Crusaders and Cromwell began to fire with rapid fire with deadly efficiency, knocking out 2 BT-5's in the first volley.

"This is Darjeeling here we have repositioned and are setting up an ambush now, they will be stuck in-between and rock and a hard place, with our crossfire."

"Understood Darjeeling." Rosehip said back.

"Yes, Darjeeling." Kay called back, she changed frequency's "Naomi what does that even mean? A rock and a hard place?"

"Not too sure. We have destroyed 8 tanks so far it's only the heavy ones left."

"Understood Naomi, but come on like what's that supposed to mean." Kay picked up her walkie talkie as her Sherman's 75mm gun breach thundered back with the loader, reloading as fast as possible.

"Ailsa any movement from Kuro?"

"No nothing, it looks like they didn't expect this attack either. They're still sitting around doing nothing."

"Ok, prepare to get your troop to counter-attack, use the bushes where the Chindits were, it time for the good out fashioned Texas horseshoe envelopment."

"Yes, kay."

* * *

**D-Day + 1 Time (14:28)**

"That sounds like a large battle going on over there." Saori said, listening in on the radio.

"Kay should have this; this is right up her alley. The Sherman's gun depression is really good and turret armour is pretty strong as well." Yukari said with a smile to Miho, who smiled back in turn.

"Tanks spotted on the opposite ridge." Came the call from Erwin. "Look's to be 5 KV-2's."

Miho pinched the microphone on her throat. "All tanks move up to ambush positions."

All of Ooarai's tanks slowly moved up on a wide front and set up behind the foliage on the top of the ridge preparing to fire.

The KV-2's stopped, all of the 152mm guns faced all different directions all along the opposing ridge.

"Hold your fire we can't give away our positions." Miho said to everyone over the radio.

The KV-2's launched a salvo of shells onto the ridge at random, throwing large piles of earth into the air, the guns moved again and once reloaded fired again with the same destructive effect.

"Hippo team here. Our tracks have been destroyed."

"Rabbit team here. 37mm gun is damaged unable to fire."

"Everyone hold fire this is not the main attack this is the barrage to scare us off." Miho said to calm them.

"They can't scare us off that easy." Azusa said back firmly and defiantly.

"Hippo team here, BT-5's are charging over the ridge and are speeding towards the bridge."

"All tanks, open fire take out all tanks. This is their main attack!" Miho commanded.

The shells flew towards the Pravda tanks but none hit their mark on the fast-moving BT-5's. The KV-2's now adjusted their fire onto the ambush positions, as now hunter became the hunted and returned the favour blowing large craters around Ooarai's tanks.

"Leopon Team here, BT-5's are on the bridge. Do we take out the bridge?"

"Not yet, only as a last resort." Miho eagerly insisted. She knew if the bridge was destroyed, they could never get a better place to funnel the enemy tanks in a kill zone, in such a very strong defensive position.

The BT-5's got onto the opposite side and began charging up Ooarai's side of the valley. Now the reinforcements arrived IS-2's and T-34's firing on the move, as they charged down the ridge making a beeline for the bridge.

"Take out the bridge." Miho Shouted. "We can't contain this." All the tanks fired hitting their mark, the metal bridge shuddered, the concrete on the road was left with large craters in it, but the thick arching metal girders ravaged by the HE shells shuddered but held firm. The KV-2 in response fired indiscriminately back.

"Anteater Team where out, sorry."

"Mallard Team, the KV-2 got us sorry."

"It's ok guys." Miho said reassuringly "We need to fall back, we can't stay here or we will get blown to smithereens, everyone who is able to retreat make your way to Belfast."

"We'll hold them off as long as we can, our tank can traverse but not move forward or back." Erwin said dejectedly. "We will be the French First Army at Dunkirk."

"That's it!" Was heard in the background of Erwin's last call.

"Thank you, Hippo team."

The tanks all turned and drove to Belfast at full speed, with all the tanks with turrets facing to the rear, firing at the BT-5's that had reached the top of the ridge.

Miho sat back into her commanders' seat and moved some of the magnets on the map. "Saori, forward this message."

* * *

**If you want a map to understand what the battlefield looks like, I've made a basic one, if you go to flickr and search username - ****Montysmypython**** it's there.**

**What caused the Matilda to brew up? What is Lady Greys secret? Can Kay stop this Pravda attack? Can Ooarai hold Belfast? **

**Hopefully you have enjoyed the second chapter. With any luck this format I'm writing in is easy to follow, because a lot happens at once with many battles taking place in a short time frame. So I want to try and make it as easy to understand as possible. **

**If you want to give me some feedback please leave a review its always appreciated.**


	3. Chapter 3: D-Day plus 1 Part II

**Chapter 3: D-Day + 1 part II**

**D-Day + 1 Time (15:07)**

Alisa's troop moved up to the bushes, hiding behind them readying their guns and revving their engines in anticipation, waiting for the call to advance. Pravda's push towards Spitfire had now run out of steam, only a couple of tanks were left. Hiding in between the wrecks of the recently destroyed Pravda tanks, however this gave the last lasting Pravda tanks a fighting chance, the husks of the tanks gave them perfect cover from both Winston and Spitfire, if they were to be destroyed, they had to be hard-pressed out of their protective thorn bush.

"Time to make the orange juice." Kay said over to Alisa's on the walkie talkie her confidence brimming, with the knowledge her best tanks where on the battlefield, as she assessed the scene below, her binoculars to hand a cocky smile drew across her face.

"Understood." Alisa got on her radio set in the church bell tower and spun the dial on the radio. "Flying Tigers advance take no prisoners." She stated with the full force of a commanding officer.

"Yes, Alisa." The commanders called back. The Sherman M4A3E8's broke cover from behind the bushes closing in at full speed.

Seeing the danger, the IS-1 and a T-34-85 scorching 85mm barrels repositioned and trained their guns and fired at the assaulting M4A3E8's knocking one out. The Easy 8's slowed and stopped, an immense barrage came from the powerful 76mm guns, hitting either the wrecks of fallen tanks or completely missing, they then resumed their charge again, closing the distance into the tenacious entrenched Pravda tanks. With the Pravda machines fired back with immunity taking away another charging Sherman.

"Naomi can you hit them yet." Kay asked urgently grasping the microphone as another Easy 8 fell victim in front of her. "We can't just waste these tanks!"

"If the T-34 moves back a little I can take a shot." Naomi responded back chewing her gum cool as ever sitting in her gunners' seat, looking through the sights.

Kay looked around at her tanks atop of Winston, all 30 tanks guns bearing down on the last two Pravda tanks. "All tanks, fire HE around their positions." She ordered. "I love the smell of explosives in the afternoon." Kay, then added rather nonchalantly with a little chuckle in her voice to cover her real emotions.

The guns on the hill loaded and began the shelling, the earth trembled as the HE shells destroyed the area around the Pravda tanks, the T-34-85 rolled back a meter to avoid the incoming fire.

"That's the ticket." Naomi's eye was fixed to the sight, she pressed the trigger pedal firing the 17 pounder, and the shell flew out of the gun with a tremendous bullwhip crack, it ricocheted of the front plate of a wrecked T-34, to then slam into the back of the last remaining T-34-85 knocking it out.

Kay jaw dropped astounded by this one in a million shot, she closed her mouth and coughed clearing her voice, she picked up the microphone. "Good shoot'en. Naomi." Rather underwhelmingly. "But can you knock out the IS-1 it's had it's fun." As her humour returned.

Naomi looked at the loader through the dingy light of the firefly, as she dived around the base of the tank trying to find one more round to feed the intense 17 pounder. "Naomi there's nothing!" she said her voice stretched as she leaned into the driver's compartment, to see the barren ammo rack.

Naomi sighed and wiped a little sweat from her brow, as she picked up the microphone. "No can do Kay. We're spent on ammo, we need to RTB." Her annoyance plain to her.

Kay placed her face in her hands and groaned realising all of her annoyance at once. She collected herself "Get back safe we need you back in one-piece sniper." As her voice full of compassion, fell into a deep whisper.

"Roger, rolling out." The Firefly rolled back of the lip of the hill to begin the long drive north to their HQ.

The Easy 8's moved up and were now taking effective fire from the IS-1, leaving only a handful left. "Keep up the bombardment we need this cock sucker dead!" Kay said furiously over the radio her impatience's beginning to crack, watching helplessly her best assets begin taken out like fish in a barrel.

Finally, the Easy 8's made it into the scrap yard of wrecked Pravda tanks. The IS-1 remaining hold down, over the wreck of a BT-5 at a 45-degree angle to the hill and to the oncoming Easy 8's. The Easy 8's stopped at a range of 200 meters firing at the side of the angled tank hitting its bogies and track destroying them, but not the tank, the IS-1's 85mm lined up fired obliterating one. The Easy 8's fired again, one shell hitting the underside of the rounded gun mantlet, the shell then bounced down hitting the top of the driver's hatch, the IS-1 was finally out. However, the battle was not over for the Flying Tigers, as a hail of shells flew in from the river, hitting one expertly on the turret knocking it out from a distance of nearly 1 and a half miles away.

"Flying Tigers get out of there now!" Alisa commanded from the bell tower watching in horror through her binoculars, Alisa picked up the walkie talkie. "Kuro's big guns are opened up! Kay, we need you to scare them off otherwise the Tigers will be massacred!" She pleaded to her commander as her company was now on the verge of destruction.

Kay looked out and around her company of tanks. "All tanks, fire on the kuro's tanks lets scare them off. Now quick!"

The Sherman's on the hill moved the southern part on the hill, butchering the ground below with their tracks. The Sherman's stopped as they rocked placing their guns onto the assaulting Kuromorimine tanks, and opened up firing 75mm and 76mm shells back towards Kuromorimine. The bombardment did nothing but stirred up the hornet's nest, the German tanks launched another deadly salvo onto the now fleeing Easy 8's taking out another.

Kay looked out at the last retreating Easy 8 travelling at full speed forwards towards the bushes, for where once it came. An orange ball sped across the grass plane, landing on the back of the engine deck, the tank then slowed and stopped, with smoke pouring out of the engine deck as the white flag appeared over it.

"God damn it." Kay said pouching down on top the turret. "All tanks pull back, stay hull down!"

The radio whined, "Message from Miho, Arnhem Bridge has fallen, repeat Arnhem Bridge has fallen." Saori called out.

"Now were up shit creek without a paddle." Kay said to herself. She looked up to the sky as dark grey clouds began to collect above them, "and of course it has to start to rain."

* * *

**D-Day + 1 Time (15:26)**

"Where is Alex Guinness when you need him?" Sarah shouted over to Rosehip, both with their hatches open looking at the now finished battlefield, with students from both sides climbing out of there destroyed tanks, and falling back to there HQ's.

Rosehip looked over at Sarah in her Cromwell, leaning back stretching her arms out, her beret still attached, as her small smile and pin curled hair, lightened the depressing mood after losing one of the valuable Crusaders. The rain beginning to fall all around them making a reverberating tapping noise on the metal frame of the tanks. "I don't know, or understand anything of what you said there?" Rosehip responded with confusion riddled all over her voice.

"I think we may be needed to help cover the western flank now they have gotten through, could you check that with Darjeeling?" Sarah shouted back over the noise of the now showering rain.

Rosehip slid back into the tank closing the hatch above her, yearning that the hatch would not leak the cold-water in, she twisted the dial on her radio. "Chindits calling is Belfast needing a drop-off?" Rosehip then transmitted the water still running down her drenched red hair.

"Hold till the Tigers are fed they will then make Belfast into a zoo." Was the immediate response from Darjeeling.

"Understood." Rosehip responded she switched back to the Chindits frequency. "We are to hold and let the Tiger's refit, they will help Ooarai."

"But did you see what just happened to them 15 tanks all gone like that in one swoop." Cranberry said back to Rosehip.

"Think of it this way that could have been us if Kay didn't help us." Rosehip looked out of the vision blocks to see Vanilla's crew finally climbing out of their tank as the battle had died down in this sector, she opened the hatch was the rain flooded into the tank, then lent out of the tank cupola "Vanilla next time you need a bit more speed!" Rosehip shouted across to them.

"I'm sorry commander I will move my tank faster next time." Vanilla said back bowing.

"Now quick get back to HQ get another Crusader, on the double move!" The girls began to run north with the rain falling all around them.

"Oh, and Vanilla." Rosehip shouted cupping her hands "Bring me back a teacup!"

Rosehip glided back into the tank closing the hatch to stop her getting even more drenched by the rain, she started to shake her hair like a wet dog, somewhat drying her hair but filling the inside of her Crusader's turret with moisture. She grabbed microphone. "Anyway, who was on scout duty? We should have seen them tanks way before they were on us." Rosehip questioned to the Chindits on the radio.

The radio went quiet of a couple of long moments. "I believe it was you, Rosehip." Green responded back hesitantly.

* * *

**D-Day + 1 Time (16:17)**

"The eastern bridge is now secure Katyusha we have set up a fall-back line in case of a counter-attack from the town." Came a calm voice over the radio.

Katyusha clicked her knuckles together as her face glowed, as her company of tanks began to cross the damaged bridge towards the other side of the valley. "Nonna, don't let up! Press them into the town don't give them a second to breathe, be the mighty Russian bear that I know you are. Show them no mercy as I believe Ooarai is holding this sector it seems."

"Understood Katyusha, it will be done." Nonna added back, combing her brown hair back with her free hand. "Driver full speed ahead!" The IS-2 rolled forwards with her other comrades following her. Nonna IS-2 pressed ahead with her strong spearhead of tanks, with other IS-2's lead the way as T-34-85's followed in behind them.

"Hold." Nonna spoke over the radio her force all stopped only a mile south of the town something didn't sit right with her. "Get the KV-2's here I want nothing in this town standing. Ooarai can't fight an urban battle if there are no buildings left."

"Sighting one type 89 on the edge of the town distance 1.5 km heading 323." Was a call from a tank commander.

"Commence bombardment, take it out." Nonna spoke calmly back over the radio. All the tanks fired, dirt flew into the air as the dust settled, the type 89 disappeared.

"Eye's up this may be an ambush." Nonna said looking through her rain covered vision blocks struggling to make out objects in this watery fog of war.

The tanks didn't move the guns faced in all directions ready for any eventuality, but nothing came they remained like this until the KV-2's rolled up to their position.

"Thunder force are you ready to bombard?" Nonna commanded over the radio.

"Targets are selected we will begin on your command, our 152mm guns will obliterate anything that stands in its way." Was the call back from the commander of Thunder force.

"Take out the objective!" Nonna stated, looking forward through the vision blocks towards the town.

Shells began landing around them. "Alert shell fire coming in from point 243." Was a call on the radio.

Nonna looked into her vision blocks to the right side, with the hill on her western flank, the top of the hill was firing at them.

"Lighting force prepare a salvo for point 243. Thunder continue firing at your targets."

The KV-2's launched their shells into the town the devastating strikes tore down building as they crashed onto on the ground.

"Lighting force fire on Point 243." The IS-2's and T-34-85 gun blasted as shells arched into air and onto the hill.

"Thunder force, Tanks approaching the outskirts of the town."

"Can you identify?" Nonna asked back.

"The dust and rain, is obscuring them unable to identify."

Then the type 89 and Tiger P broke out of the dust cloud with thick white smoke coming out the back of their engine, as they moved in tandem in a scissor formation weaving in and out heading straight for the force of Pravda tanks.

"This won't be a repeat of the semi's, all tanks fire on the oncoming forces." Nonna declared over the radio, gritting her teeth. "Lightning force aim for these attacking threats! Ignore point 243!"

The KV-2's guns loaded but were too slow to fire back as the two Ooarai tanks sped past them. Firing on their sides knocking one KV-2 out, by the time the IS-2 and T-34-85 turned their turrets, the Ooarai tanks split and circled around the Pravda tanks covering them with thick smoke, they were blind stuck in the middle of a smoke screen.

"Everyone, hold positions have every angle covered." Nonna said she switched frequencies. "Katyusha can you see any tanks approaching from the town from your position on top of the valley?"

"We are under heavy bombardment Nonna! Someone hasn't done their job, we can't help you." Katyusha spoke with real disdain, as the crashing shells from the hill landed around Katyusha's force who fired back at the tanks on the dominant position atop of the hill.

Nonna looked through every vision block for any sign of movement. Shells began to pierce the swirling smoke screen around them, as they flew in from all directions, with a shell knocking out one of the KV-2's.

"Lightning force, prepare to advance north to the town at full speed." Nonna said. "Let's see what Miho does with this." She thought to herself.

They charged full speed out of the smoke with the all Pravda commanders yelling "Ura!" The town beckoned ahead of them. Shot from both flanks hit their tanks knocking some out.

"Keep pushing comrades once we hold the town Ooarai will be surrounded by us in the north and the mighty Katyusha to the south." Nonna instructed undeterred by the onslaught.

"Tanks! North in the town!" The radio crackled back.

Nonna quickly examined the amount so shells flying towards them on their flanks. "What, how?! Ooarai don't have these many tanks?" She excambied over the radio. "What are they?"

"Sherman's 76's!"

* * *

**D-Day + 1 Time (16:27)**

"Naomi head the Flying Tigers to the town this is what Miho planned for remember?" Kay said with a little apprehension as she spoke over the radio, as her company of Sherman's slowly trundled to the eastern part of the hill.

"I know Kay, we're already here." Naomi chuckled back. "We're just waiting for them now, if they're smart, they will cut their losses and fall back but that's not the Pravda way." Naomi said back as she looked out of the hatch into the smoke hurricane made by Ooarai, with the pouring rain soaking her, Miho and the other Ooarai tanks had now pushed up to the sides using all available concealment. The Sherman's where dug in well, located to the southern tip of the Belfast, just inside the outskirts town. They had quickly thrown of some large pieces of rubble for extra protection and creating good camouflage, as they sited and waited ready to pounce at a moments notice.

"Please if you can Flying Tiger's, aim for where the KV-2's last where, they are the most dangerous threat." Miho spoke calmly but with a little tremble in her voice.

"We can do." Naomi responded. "Tigers are you ready, it's time to knock out those big gunned bastards!"

The 17 pounder and 76's mm shells landed in the vicinity of the KV-2's, hopefully knocking out some or at least scaring them. Ooarai, in turn, fired as well into the smoke.

Naomi laid her back on the back of her cupola, checking her nails, as the guns back blast moving causing her damp hair to fly around.

"Pravda tanks approaching out of the smoke!" shouted the gunner, Naomi a little startled by this quickly got on the radio.

"Flying Tigers it's time to get your revenge from your earlier loss, take them out." She slid back in and swapped with the gunner, she peered into the scope. "Sabot!" she yelled.

"Sabot loaded." Shouted the loader with the metal thud being slammed into the breach.

Naomi moved the traverse handle with great care, searching for the right target, as the Flying Tigers knocked out tank after tank. Naomi located her target, fine-tuning the gun until she was satisfied. "Firing!" She placed her foot on the pedal, the tank rocked as the shell flew dead straight as it zipped hitting the lower plate of an IS-2, as the flag raised with the tank slowly coming to a stop. The whole attacking force seemed to stop and faulter with that hit. The attacking Pravda tanks, turned about and retreated back to where they came, the Flying Tiger's continued firing in conjunction with Ooarai, till the attacking force returned to the relative safety of valley.

"Tigers, thanks for your assistance." Miho said over the radio relived as she wiped a little sweat from her forehead as she gave a smile and a thumbs up to her crew.

"All in a day's work." Alisa said butting in her voice as smug as ever.

"Urm, Alisa the adults are talking here, remember we are the one who are doing the real work." Naomi spoke back sneeringly.

"Well someone has to be eye's in the sky you know and that is my company you know right?"

"Don't worry Jay MacKelvie, I'll make sure they're ok." Naomi said back with a smirk.

The rain began to ease as the grey clouds slowly turned into a pure white, the Flying Tigers fell back to the relieve spot a mile behind Winston, Naomi headed back up to the Winston. Ooarai started to fortify the town with the main bulk of the Ooarai force in the main square resting, with a small fountain in the middle surrounded by cafes and other abandoned shops, as they heard the rumble of track approaching from the north.

"Look what we've got." Erwin said over the radio, as they drove into the main square.

"Now let me guess a Sherman Firefly." Mako said in her low energy mocking tone looking towards the Firefly driving towards her and the other Anglerfish team seated on the steps of the fountain with the water shooting water gracefully into the air falling back to earth with a relaxing trickling noise.

Yukari could not contain her excitement, as the Firefly stopped in front of them, with Hippo team opening up the hatches. "Let me have a look inside please." Yukari begged clapping her hands hysterically.

"Of course." Erwin said waving her hand in. Yukari climbed up a peered into the tanks hatches she proceeded to climb in.

"That's really useful for us it's got a bit more of a punch than the 75mm." Miho said walking over inspecting the tank still with its Saunders markings.

"Well Naomi said we could use it as she has a couple spare, and that the only the best snipers can use this tank, so we're pretty happy with that." Saemonza said with a smile climbing out patting the side hull of the tank. "It's just going to be weird to have a turret but we'll get used to it."

"It was either this or St Gloriana's offered us a Churchill gun carriage." Erwin said putting a hand over her mouth to stop her laughing.

They were joined by Mallard team in a standard Sherman M4A1 and Anteater team in a Valentine XI.

The radio crackled to life Erwin put the headphones on, and spoke aloud to everyone the message.

"This is from Rabbit team, all knocked out Pravda tanks crews are returning to their lines, Nonna's climbing out of a wrecked IS-2. Wow, we did some good work!"

* * *

**D-Day + 1 Time (17:42)**

The campfires were raging as tents where being assembled, Kuromorimine had finally set up a forward base just north of the river, near an abandoned farmhouse with other small buildings around near to the western bridge but was in plain sight for Saunders atop of the hill. The smell of Sauerbraten stew laced the air, Maho sat alone on the edge of the bed in the upstairs bedroom of the farmhouse. She slowly stirred the food in her bowl, leisurely placing the roast pork onto her spoon and deposited it into her mouth. Everything seemed to be a huge contradiction, she was on a battlefield, seating on a soft bed, in a warm room eating a hot meal in peace. The door knocked, "Come in." Maho said rested her spoon inside the bowl, lowering it to the other side of the bed.

Erika walked in, "I'm very sorry to bother you commander but we have a situation." Her tone as professional as ever.

"Which is?" Maho stated back.

"We seemed to have found a spotter in the bell tower in the church, we spotted the binoculars glinting in the sunlight, your orders?" As she looked towards Maho for an answer.

Maho looked up at Erika. "Send them a message, they destroy the tower. I think that's sporting enough."

"That's very true, it will be done." Erika bowed and quickly walked out.

Maho picked up her spoon and blew on the hot stew, "Well we could fire on them now, they know that they are at the own risk being there. Like we are being here."

Erika continued to walk away "I agree commander, we all are taking risks." not stopping to face her commander or slowing in her strides as she had her orders and there was no time for talk, she open and then closed the door quietly, as Maho relaxed and looked out of the window, at the towering hill with church bell tower, that loomed over the Kuromorimine camp.

Maho gripped her spoon firmly as it burrowed into her skin. "You best run Kay. You can't hold that hill forever. With no eyes on this area, you're toothless and a frustration to everyone especially your team. And I think you're the weakest link in the chain Kay, if I break you the whole structure will come crashing down."

Alisa looked at the Kuromorimine camp, with her radio and walkie talkie to hand if anything changed, she had snacks all around her Marshmallows, Carmel bar and many more, which she did by persuading Kay into giving her more sweet rations to keep her 'more alert', as she unwrapped a chocolate bar. "This is the best job I've ever had." She thought to herself opening her mouth to absorb the sweet, sugary substance.

She glanced over to the camp to see a light flashing towards her, she placed the chocolate bar on the wooden floor, she looked at the light and worked out like was Morse code.

"_Withdraw from Tower we fire in 1 minute_."

"Shit!" she picked up the radio. "Everyone on Winston get into your tanks now! get to cover now!" She yelled.

"Alisa, what bees have got under your bonnet?" Came Kay on the walkie talkie. Alisa in a state of panic ignored this call. She ran to the ladder and slid down into the back of the Nave, still, students were after sleeping on the pews.

"Everyone get out!" she shouted running to all the pews shaking them. "The tower is going to come down get out!" With this the girls began to move out of the church pretty fast, leaving their other belongings. Alisa checked all the pews and sprinted for the door, once leaving the stone covered floor of the church for the mud created by the rain and the earth being torn to shreds. She scanned the area to find the closest tank only a couple of meters away, she ran over to it as fast as possible through the thick mud, she slid underneath. As soon as her body hit the mud the shells began slamming into the tower. Bricks fell down and the ground shuddered, the tower began to sway, falling in the direction of Alisa's tank landing directly on top, the tank suspension held but weight on the tank pinned Alisa to the ground unable to move she was trapped in a sarcophagus, burying her in darkness.

Once the dust settled, Kay opened her hatch, she looked around at the tanks with students getting out of their tanks and got on the walkie talkie.

"ALISA…. ALISA!" There was no response.

Kay climbed out of her tank landing in the dense mud "Has anyone seen Alisa!" she shouted out loud.

"Yes, she went under that tank!" One student said climbing out from under a Sherman. She pointed to the rubble with only its gun barrel sticking out the only sign that a tank was there.

"Everyone quick help." Kay ordered as she started frantically moving the bricks off the tank, immediately other crews joined Kay in her rescue effort.

"Alisa you're going to be fine." Kay shouted into the rubble. "You can't die here! I won't let you die here!" The Kay screamed with raw emotion in her voice throwing off brick after brick.

Alisa felt the pressure come off her chest making it easier to breathe, "I'M HERE!" She shouted at the top of her voice. A small gap opened up at the front of the tank, with light blinding her eyes, she squinted her eyes to see a hand coming towards her she contorted her body moving her arm forward reaching and grasping the hand which pulled her out.

Alisa's rubbed her eyes acclimatizing to the sunlight bouncing off the refiled face of Kay. Kay hugged her with tears in her eyes. "You're safe." Gripping tightly on Alisa's jacket.

"Of course, kuro can't kill me that easy," Alisa said brassy, taking a step back to reveal her smile. "I was the last one out of there." Alisa added as she pointed to the half-demolished church.

"Good, good." As Kay wiped away the tears, she turned and looked towards the Kuromorimine camp. "Prepare all tanks, I want to burn their camp to the ground!" As she yelled to all the surrounding girls, Kay turned and stormed to her tank, teeth gritted fist clenched.

Naomi put her hand on Kays' shoulder. "Kay don't do it."

Kay stopped and turned "Did you see what they did Naomi? That's dangerous. No not dangerous that's murder, think about if Alisa was not paying attention, she and many others would be dead." She spouted furiously.

"Kay, please our revenge will come once they come knocking, this is when we rain all hell and fire on them." Naomi put both her hands on Kay's shoulders. Kay looked at her sniper, her rock, her friend. "Please, Kay don't stoop to their level your better than that."

Kay took a couple of heavy breaths and slowly started to nod in agreement, Kay lent in hugging Naomi. "Thanks, sniper." She said grateful of her friend's ability to make her see the light. "But what to do with this rubble and wrecked tanks." She said into Naomi's ear.

"They would make a mighty fine wall." Naomi joked.

Kay let go of Naomi, placing her hand on her chin. "Naomi you will become commander of Saunders one day. Ok, Get everyone to build our wall around the lip of the hill use anything they can get our hands on, knocked out tanks, rubble, mud, tin cans anything. Make this place like Bunker Hill."

"Will do Kay." Naomi added her mood cheering with her commanders.

"I might need to give Darjeeling a call about changing the name of here to Bunker Hill but I don't think she would be too happy with that as the Brits didn't do too well."

* * *

**D-Day + 1 Time (19:59)**

The days light began to fade away the suns setting gleam, creating a beautiful wash of colours in the sky, before giving away to the rest bit of the night with all teams staying out in their forward positions not to give away an inch of hard-fought ground. A redhaired girl with a file and a map in her hand knocked on the worn door so what seemed to be a small shack, in the tranquillity of the HQ.

"Yes, you may enter." A voice called back from inside.

The girl opened the door, the small orange glow of a low hanging lightbulb, barely filling the room with its radiance, the windows were not covered, however, the overcast sky blocked any natural nightlight to seep in. A blond girl was sitting behind a battered table, which had a large map covering it, with a hefty radio on top as well.

"Ah, Rosehip it's lovely to see your presence again."

"Yes, Darjeeling I wish to have a plan authorize by you, that I have come up with." As she walked forward to her desk placing her file on the table.

Darjeeling read every word in extensively, making sure she knew what Rosehip idea was. "A high risk, high reward strategy." Her face blank and voice resembling the same notion.

"Yes, but I believe the Chindits have what it takes to do it." Rosehip reported swiftly, looking down into the still detached Darjeeling still looking at the file and onto the map.

Darjeeling looked back up. "What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?" As she nodded towards Rosehip.

* * *

**So I wonder what Rosehips plan is? Maho playing mind games with Kay and Ooarai holding Belfast ... for now. **

**If you want a map to understand what the battlefield looks like, I've made a basic one, if you go to flickr and search username - Montysmypython it's there.**

**I have a review yay! from Sleipnir, the answer is yes hopefully the chapters should come out one ever 2/3 weeks if all going according to plan. This week is an exception as Easter brings a long holiday so I could spend some more time writing.**

**If you want to give me some feedback please leave a review its always appreciated.**


	4. Chapter 4: D-Day plus 2

**Chapter 4 D-DAY+2**

**D-Day + 2 Time (09:08)**

Another day dawned, warm light flooded through the partially closed curtains, the light creeping onto Katyusha sound asleep face. The light slowly rolled onto her closed eyes, the orange light, set alight under her eyelids awoke her, in her luxurious bedroom with her silver silk pyjamas with the Pravda logo inscribed on the chest, she yawned as she sat up stretching her arms in her king-sized bed with pure white goose feathered pillows and red cotton covers.

_"I'm so happy I came back to the HQ to this beautiful room, soft pillow and warm covers."_ She thought to herself. "Nonna! Where is my breakfast." She yelled, the door opened immediately, with Nonna holding a tray with orange juice, a plate with fried eggs with kolbasa and dill on top. As she placed it in front of her with a silver pair of cutlery. "I thought you knew I always what my breakfast at 9 AM on the dot." She commanded pointing to a small clock on a bedside cabinet.

Nonna closed her eyes and bowed. "I'm sorry Katyusha, I did not wish to interrupt your slumber, as we need you fresh and at your best to win us this match for the mighty Pravda."

"Good response Nonna, have you got any reports on the tank loses." Katyusha added as she cut into the fried egg as its yoke oozed out.

"Yes." She opened placed her hand inside of her black vest a drew out a brown folder, she opened and began reading, "On the western flank we lost three BT-5, three T-34's of the 76 variety and two of the 85's, two KV-2 and one IS-2."

"Ok, not too bad I was expecting worse, as we also took the bridge a vital stepping stone to taking town." As she placed the food in her mouth with yoke dribbling down her chin.

"The eastern flank lost eleven T-34-76's, five T-34-85's, three BT-5's, three KV-1 and one IS-1."

"Any gains in that sector?" Katyusha snapped back immediately.

Nonna looked down and the report in her hand, trying to find some good news, with her eyes scanning the whole report. "No gains and no losses in territory." She put it bluntly.

Katyusha wiped her face with her sleeve. "Polina is to be relieved of command immediately! I gave her a chance now she has failed me." She shrieked as she punched the bed, nearly knocking over the tray.

"Who will you replace her with?"

"Klara, she impressed me in the last two matches we had. This will be her baptism of fire as a commander of a force of tanks." Katyusha looked up at Nonna her eyebrows lowed with her cheeks turning red. "But she will follow my orders this time you hear me! If she disobeys orders."

"She will not Katyusha, I will personally make sure of it. Is there anything else needed of me?"

"Yes, Klara is to be given the 'gift' make sure it is not opened till tomorrow." Katyusha winked to Nonna, before chugging down the orange juice. "Today… let the crews rest we still have five days of hard battle to fight. But make sure they are prepared for tomorrow. As today I need to have a word with our monotonous ally. They seem to be hibernating like the Russian bear in winter."

"That will be done Katyusha." Nona walked out of the door opened and closed the door behind her.

"We we're better of getting Chi-Ha-Tan on our team, at least they would actually attack." Katyusha mumbled to herself as she ate the rest of her breakfast in peace and quiet.

* * *

**D-Day + 2 Time (11:36)**

"Kay, there's still nothing no movement what so ever." Alisa said over her walkie talkie laying on top of her Sherman turret peering through her binoculars at the Kuromorimine camp.

"Any build-up of new tanks?"

"Nope still the same amount."

"This is fine for us, keep me posted Alisa."

Kay locked the walkie talkie on her belt and laid her back on the front of her Sherman, she watched her crews move the rubble from the church to the lip of the southern part of the hill, with wrecked Sherman's being pushed forwards by still operational Sherman's, destroying the already deteriorating earth into thicker and thicker mud.

Naomi walked over to Kay and leaned her back on the front of the Sherman chewing on her gum as she usually did. "I've got the best name for your company. Alisa has the 'Flying Tigers', mine is the 'Old Ironsides' yours could be 'Kays construction co'."

Kay smiled and giggled, she pushed back her blond curly hair out of her face and looked towards Naomi. "I'll stick with the 'Hell fighters' for now, how long do you think it will be till this wall is done?"

"I would say about four hours, maybe three, if we there isn't an attack." Naomi looked into Kay's profound blue eyes in contrast to the grey clouds above, "I don't like this waiting around, something. I don't know what it is but something feels wrong, I think something is going to happen, something bad."

"Well of course." Kay said placing her hand on her sniper's weary sniper. "They will come a'knockin and we will stop them in their tracks, you watch. I can't wait to see Maho's face once she jumps off her eliminated Tiger."

Naomi smiled "I think Erika will go even more berserk, when her mighty Tiger II is knocked out but your 75mm. Now that's funny."

"Naomi could you give us a hand, the Firefly's stuck again." A voice shouted over to them.

"You can't get the staff can you." Naomi added as she trudged through with the mud over to her tank, trying to push a knocked-out Sherman.

Kay's smile instantly dissolved from her face, her stomach twisted and squirmed, her breath increased as cold sweat poured down her brow. She walked behind her tank to make sure no one could see her and vomited all over the floor. She placed both of her hand on top of each other on the back of the tank, resting her forehead on top of them, as she looked at the ground below.

"_How long can I keep this persona put for, we can't hold this hill, I've had only 2 hours sleep. Come on Kay, snap yourself out of this, your team needs you. But what if they attack now, Alisa nearly died. Naomi is never wrong, even on a hunch, if she says something bad will happen it will. But she didn't predict the bell tower attack. But you can't predict something like that. Why would Maho do something like that? The Matilda fire we can't have that happen. It was an accident. But could Maho and Katyusha be behind something? Listen, Kay we can do this, we have Miho, if we have her we have a chance. What if something bad happens to her like that fire. Kay stop it now you are the commander of Saunders University High School. You have a strong defensive position on this hill any and every attack will be repulsed."_ As her mind and conscience debate one another.

Kay took a deep breath. She lifted her head up from the back of the tank opened her drink canister, she swished the water in her mouth to clean out the burning bile in her throat and spat out the cleansing water.

"Nothing bad will happen, nothing bad will happen." She muttered to herself under her breath as she walked over every step a massive effort as the mud would go to her ankles. She finally managed to join her crews to help move rubble over to the wall.

* * *

**D-DAY+2 time (12:23) **

A BT-5 tank drove across the eastern bridge and came darting to the Kuromorimine camp.

Maho watched out of the window as the commander of the BT-5 sprung out of the tank. With a piece of paper in her hand bowing to Erika, who said a couple of words and passing it to Erika, the Pravda girl returning instantly to her tank and drove back across the bridge. Erika turned walking to the front door, opening the door into the farmhouse, as she climbed up the stairs with each step on the wooden staircase creaking with different pitches, she finally got to the door she knocked on the old wooden door. as Maho still observing out of the window on her crews below somewhere in their tents, some by the campfire with a large silver coloured cooking pot cooking what seemed to be soup, as other tinkered with their tanks, she turned to face the door.

"Come in." The coldness of her voice still chilling in the warm room.

Erika opened the door and closed it. "A message from Katyusha."

"Go on."

"Once night comes the mighty Katyusha will be coming here for a tactical meeting. Signed Katyusha" Erika read from the piece of paper, she crushed the piece of paper in her fist. "Why does she have to write in the 3rd person, who does she think she is?"

"She just needs to be whipped into shape; I don't think her parents passed any discipline onto her as a child." Maho spoke her calculated tone, with Erika nodding in agreement. Maho rotated back to the window to see a small reflection of her back in the window. The strong brown eyes, short dark brown hair and a small grin formed on her face, with her confident reflection blossoming back to her. "If I could shut her up with a stare in the all-star university match tactical meeting, what do you think I can do with my voice."

"I am very much looking forward to seeing you destroying her ego, commander." Erika added with an unusual amount of excitement in her tone.

"We know our plan of attack for the objective correct?" As Maho's sight wondered up towards the dominant hill up towards the church in the foreground.

"Yes, all tank commanders are informed and will do as instructed without falter." Her subordinate instantly responded without hesitation.

"Good, once our guest arrives, I will inform her of our plans. You are dismissed Erika."

"Commander." She bowed even though Maho didn't even look towards her to receive the sign of respect, as she walked out closing the door opening and closing the bedroom door.

* * *

**D-DAY+2 time (20:07) **

The sun laid to rest after a long day's work, as the night rolled in to replace it. Erika was outside of the farmhouse, she walked along the line of all the girls at attention inspecting the uniforms of her tank commanders. She stopped at one girl and looked at the girl's uniform, as her pulse increased dramatically. "Look at this, you have mud on your lapel Marie!" she snapped placing her index finger on her lapel and pushing the girl back a little. "Are we from Anzio Marie?!"

"No, Vice commander Erika." She yelled back like a well-oiled solider.

"What school are we from then?!"

"Kuromorimine! Vice commander Erika." Marie yelled back again.

Erika then lowed her voice and lent in towards Marie's ear. "Then fucking show it then, if you disrespect the school, you disrespect the whole of Sensha-Dō. You are dismissed."

"Yes. Vice commander Erika." Marie responded running off to one of the tents.

Erika walked back to the middle of the line, she stood and examined at them one last time to find any other mistakes. "The rest of you, we have a guest arriving, commander Katyusha. We need to show them why we are the unquestioned masters of the Sensha-Dō at the high school level. Do I make myself clear."

"Yes, vice commander Erika!" They all yelled back simultaneously.

"Good, dismissed." Erika called back. All the girls dispersed, the roar of engines and of metal tracks on asphalt could be heard in the distance. Erika moved her body to the sound of the noise, as the unmistakable dark shapes of T-34's and IS-2's and what looked to be a KV-2 rumbled towards the encampment across the bridge, with their headlights off not to give away their position to any surveying eyes atop of the hill.

Erika leaned her neck on one of her shoulders, clicking her neck and doing the same on the other side. The tanks rolled forward and stopped a couple meters short of Erika standing at attention, illuminated by one of the campfires nearby. She looked up at the first tank a T-34-85 as a small shadow moved out of the protruding commander's hatch. The light from the fire then ascended on the shadow removing the darkness it was Katyusha, as she slid onto the engine deck of the tank and jumping off the side. Katyusha began to walk towards the silver-haired Erika, in somewhat complete contrast to the black Kuromorimine uniform she was wearing. Katyusha stop a meter away from Erika as their eyes duelled not allowing themselves to blink or look away.

"It's a fine encampment you have here Erika." Katyusha maliciously added, with Nonna walking behind her scowling towards the outnumbered Erika alone by herself.

"Thank you, there is no need for you to sit on Nonna's shoulders the meeting will take place here." She added back in the same tone, pointing to the farmhouse.

"Oh, Erika did your master give you permission to use language like that to a guest?" Katyusha responded back in a remarkably calm tone with a grin on her face. Before Erika could respond, Katyusha walked into towards the front door, she turned the handle down and walked in. Maho was sitting at the head of a small wooden table the room, which was lit and heated but a stone fireplace.

"Please, sit." Maho said gesturing to the opposite end of the table. Nonna and Erika followed in the door was closed behind them, as two Kuromorimine girls guarded the front door. Both Erika and Nonna stood behind there corresponding commanders as both parties glared at each other for a couple of moments, the cracking of the fire the only noise in the whole farmhouse, as the crimson glow rebounded off the half devilish face's of the four members, leaving the other side in pure darkness.

"Do you know why I called this meeting?" Katyusha questioned as she lent back into the wooden chair.

"Yes, I do Katyusha." Maho responded back, as she made her first verbal chess move.

"Your lack of action is rather disturbing, we knew you had lost some of your teeth in previous battles, as your once feared bite has now become, well pathetic to be honest." Katyusha spoke coolly but a hint of frustration could be heard in her voice.

Maho expected the low insult's, she raised her hand before Erika would lose her very short temper. "Thank you for your insight Katyusha, I will not throw insults towards you, as I regard you in high regard as an equal to myself." Katyusha smiled a little, the bait had been taken. "Tomorrow we will launch the main assault on the Church objective, as I'm guessing Pravda will be also attacking tomorrow on the flanks, as you've been recovering today, due to the peaceful nature of today." Katyusha nodded. "We have slowly been bringing more and more heavier reinforcements, under the noises of Saunders atop of the hill. They think we have 15 tanks here, but in fact we have over 30. We will be attacking a first light. I would recommend you use your forces on both flanks tomorrow. As tomorrow we break their lines."

Katyusha looked shocked, they planned for this to happen the whole time, they were not just slouching around, it was a great deception that fooled her and most likely the enemy team. "I think that we will agree with your plan, my flanks will attack and overwhelm them."

"I would recommend attacking at different times, as hopefully by doing so will lure out their reserves to reinforce one flank, then once the other attack on the other flank begins it will buckle under the pressure due to a lack of numbers and also not have nothing to repel it once their forces have been destroyed."

"As this is the first joint operation what shall we call it." Katyusha quired her smile ever enlarging.

"I have come up with a compromise for the name as your plans are named after planets, I would like to call it Operation Mars."

"Obviously I agree with the name, but why is that?"

Maho looked into the fireplace her face fully absorbed by the golden flames. "As Mars was the Roman god of war." As a rare hint of determined emotion rolled off her tongue.

* * *

**D-DAY+2 time (20:35) **

The campfire was warm and embracing, lighting up the silhouettes of all the people sitting on bricks to keep them off the thick mud, the shadows making them look like giants on the tanks that they happened to land on.

"Ka,y have some of this beef it's pretty good." As Naomi took the screw out of the fire, with the meat sizzling.

Kay just steered deep into the heart of the fire, as if it saying something to her.

"Kay!?"

"Oh yes, yes." As she passed her mess tin over to Naomi. Naomi slid the meat off with a small pocket knife, she lifted up a small glass bottle from the inside pocket of her jacket, splashing a couple of large drops of the liquid on and passed it over to Kay.

Kay took the mess tin back with a nod of apperception, she picked up some of the hot beef with her fingers. "What's this on the side." She asked.

"Trust me you'll know."

Kay dipped the beef into the liquid, then into her mouth. Her face filled with surprise and excitement. "How did you get this?"

Naomi put her finger to her lips, as to not alert the other crew sitting around the fire.

"Old Jacks BBQ sauce" Kay mouthed.

Naomi smiled "I know how much you love it." She mouthed back with a wink. "And anyway, isn't it important to keep morale high. isnt it guys." Naomi added in her usual speaking tone.

"If you've got some marshmallows that would help." Alisa said from across the fire.

"We did have some but they mysteriously disappeared, and haven't been seen again." As Naomi looked judgingly at Alisa.

"I know a real mystery." As Alisa block eye contact and looked into the fire.

The campfire mood dropped a little, as the firewood cracked and popped, with all the crews around exhausted not even talking to one another as it was a waste of valuable energy.

Naomi looked to one of her firefly crew members sitting next to her. "Jackeline, you said you could play a musical instrument right." Nudging the girl with her elbow.

"Yes, I can play the flute." She said back a little startled.

"Ah good." Naomi stood and began walking over to the Firefly.

"So, your good at blowing things, ha." Kay said sarcastically as she quickly glanced up at Jackeline.

Some of the girls giggled around her. "I guess so." She said back with the innuendo going straight over her head. Kay hugged her ribs as she laughed out hysterically.

"You will make someone happy one day." Kay added with a smile, then looked back at the fire.

Naomi walked back through the squishing mud and passed Jackeline a silver rectangle. "I know it's no flute but have a go."

As she played a couple notes on the harmonica, as Naomi whispered something into Jackeline's ears she stopped, she took a deep breath and played a beat. Kay's eyes were drawn away from the fire, she recognised the melody looking up at Naomi, as Naomi began to sing to the melody.

There's a yellow rose of Texas

That I am going to see

No other fellow knows her

No other, only me

She cried so when I left her

It like to broke my heart

And if I ever find her

We never more will part

The crews slowly one by one started adding their voices to the Naomi's, as Kay smiled to her favourite song as she sang along as well with her crews.

She's the sweetest rose of colour

This soldier ever knew

Her eyes are bright as diamonds

They sparkle like the dew

You may talk about your dearest May

And sing of Rosa Lee

But the Yellow Rose of Texas

Is the only girl for me.

"What's the racket." Katyusha barked at Nonna.

"It seems they are singing." Maho added with a small chuckle inward to herself.

Erika stormed out of the room, to the outside of the camp with Kuromorimine and Pravda girls some sitting around some working on their tanks, she stopped and straighter her jacket and stood with a straight posture. "Saunders think they are better than us, lets show them!"

Heute wollen wir marschier'n,

Einen neuen Marsch probier'n

In dem schönen Westerwald

Ja, da pfeift der Wind so kalt

In dem schönen Westerwald

Ja, da pfeift der Wind so kalt

The Kuromorimine girls all stood stopping what they were doing and sang along with Erika.

Oh, du schöner Westerwald,

Über deine Höhen pfeift der Wind so kalt,

Jedoch der kleinste Sonnenschein

Dringt tief ins Herz hinein.

The Pravda girls looked around, at her Kuromorimine girls singing at their loudest to this song, most were a little bemused by what they saw. "We can't be outdone girls show Kuromorimine and Saunders who is better." Shouted one of the Pravda girls.

Путь далёк у нас с тобою,

Веселей, солдат, гляди!

Вьётся, вьётся знамя полковое,

Командиры - впереди.

Солдаты - в путь, в путь, в путь!

А для тебя, родная,

Есть почта полевая.

Прощай, труба зовёт,

Солдаты - в поход.

"What's Kay doing now?" Jasmine asked as she yawned to Sarah, whose head was out of the turret.

"It seems they are having a sing-song." Sarah added back leaning onto the back of the commander's hatch, her green eyes sparkling as a small glimmer of moonlight broke through the clouds.

"What are they singing?" Jasmine questioned placing her feet up on the breach.

Sarah licked her lips. "Don't know, they have a very good bass section, but no top tenner's that's for sure."

Jasmine smiled understanding the reference, as Sarah slowly raised her voice. As peppermint opened the loaders hatch, to hear the singing from Saunders a little more clearly. Sarah coughed to clear her throat.

It's a long way to Tipperary,

It's a long way to go.

It's a long way to Tipperary

To the sweetest girl I know!

Goodbye Piccadilly,

Farewell Leicester Square!

It's a long long way to Tipperary.

Rosehip stuck her head out she looked over to Sarah, she smiled and in her best broken English sang along as well.

The echo of the songs reached the hedgerows position with Darjeeling tank on guard duty, she sat on top of her tank her feet dangling off the side of the turret, as she listened to the songs. She leaned into the turret picked up her microphone. "We can't let the Chindit's have all the fun, one hand does wash the other." As crew members from her whole troop got out of their tanks to sing along with the Chindits.

The songs echoed around the small battlefield as the war of the words fought in the air. The louder one sang, the hard the others did not to be outdone. No matter which team they were supposed to be on, all the teams fought against each other to make sure their song must prevail.

"What do you think of the singing?" Katyusha asked Maho, as she locked her hands together spinning her thumbs clockwise to each other.

"A waste of time and energy, but good for morale." Maho added back still calculated as ever.

"The singing bores me." said Katyusha to Maho, Katyusha looked at Nonna who nodded. Nonna opened the door and walked outside.

"Do you wish to know the song I like to listen to in a time like this?"

"Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: 1812 Overture" Maho responded with her face still expressing nothing.

"No."

The Pravda tanks open fired onto the hill slamming shells into the dirt, the singing stopped immediately as all the girls around the Saunders campfire ran to their tanks for cover.

"The song of war."

The night continued to the melody of the blazing guns as they played on through the night.

* * *

**D-DAY+2 time (22:00) **

"Can anyone of you use a film camera?" Rosehip asked the four other commanders who were seating under a heavy blanket above their heads, she had a map of the area around objective Spitfire, with one of the commanders holding a torch above it.

"Yes, I can." said Green. "I've always wanted to be like Robert Capa, so this would be the next best thing."

"Perfect." Rosehip opened her pocket and passed Green over the small boxy SLR camera with no lens attached.

"Where's the lens?"

"I've got it in my tank it's a big one." Rosehip responded back, as she gestured with her hands. "So, we all know where to go." All the commanders nodded. "Synchronise watches we move out at 0300. Let operation Mad Jack commence." They all got there watches out and synchronised to Rosehip's watch, the torch was turned off and the blanket came off. The pitch black of night reviled itself as their sight adjusted to the darkness with the occasional explosion from the HE shells hitting the hill.

Sarah walked over to the Cromwell, climbed up and sat the commander's seat. "Let's get a couple of winks in before we head off." She informed her crew.

"Are we staying in the tank again." Honeybush asked with a yawn.

"I'm afraid so, but at least it's warm in here." Sarah climbed out opened one of the storage bins with pillows and thin blankets inside. She passed them to Jasmine who passed them out to the crew. The crew fell asleep in awkward positions trying their best to get comfortable in the cramped tank. Sarah remained awake with a warm cup of tea observing the surroundings area buttoned up.

* * *

**Operation Mad Jack, Operation Mars. Next chapters going to be action packed. I thought to have a slower chapter more dialogue build up a little tension. Darjeeling would say 'the calm before the storm.'**

**Songs: **

**Yellow Rose of Texas: an American folk song - Saunders**

**Oh, du Schöner Westerwald: a German marching song – Kuromorimine**

**En route/Let's go: a USSR marching song - Pravda**

**It's a long way to Tipperary: a British song most know for soldiers singing it in WW1 – St Gloriana**

**If you haven't had a listen to some of these songs before I would highly recommend it. I left them in their native language as that's how they are sung and also because translating the 'En route' is a massive pain.**

**Review time: Dark-Silver96 and Sleipnir thanks for the reviews, great to hear you're enjoying it! Let's say no spoilers but there is going to be more attention on the sisters in the coming chapters you'll see. **

**If you want a map to understand what the battlefield looks like, I've made a basic one, if you go to flickr and search username - Montysmypython it's there.**

**If you want to give me some feedback please leave a review its always appreciated.**


	5. Chapter 5: D-Day plus 3

**Chapter 5 D-Day +3**

**D-DAY+3 time (02:30)**

Sarah looked down at her watch and looked over to her sleeping crew. With the small Peppermint crawled up on the turret floor with a blanket covering with her black ponytail coving her face, her hair fluttering as she snored. "Ok everyone up." Sarah said preparing some tea in the boiling vessel, she placed her hand behind the radio set grabbing a tin full of oat biscuits.

"I couldn't sleep anyway, Peppermint snores like a dying cow." Jasmine remarked jokingly slowly coming to life.

"It's not that bad." Peppermint protested back still in half of a slumber, placing one hand on the gun breech to leverage herself up.

"I could hear it all the way down here." Honeybush responded back for the driver's compartment.

Sarah passed out the tea and biscuits, so the whole crew was catered for. Jasmine lent her on the back of the turret wall facing Peppermint, her purple eye-bags were in contrast to the white steam of the tea. She sipped on it, she drew her sight off the golden-brown liquid and looked over to Peppermint. "Next time I think we should leave you outside the tank."

"I bet we would still be able to hear her from out there." Honeybush added, even though she was in the driver's seat a smile could be sensed.

Sarah put her hand on Peppermints shoulder, Peppermint turned as to see Sarah's small grin on her face. "Come on guys we can't do that she makes a really good brew, and anyway it's a little nippy out there, but at least she doesn't talk in her sleep." As she looked over to Jasmine. "Who's this James person anyway?" Sarah added, her grin turning into a large smile, as she covered her mouth with her hand to stop the laughter. Jasmines immediately went quiet and the small grin she had was gone, she looked down at the tea and nibbled on a biscuit, her face turning red. With Peppermint sipping on her tea.

"Oh, how embarrassing." Honeybush added jokingly.

They finished their trivial breakfast, which woke them up sufficiently enough for Sarah to ﬁll them out on operation Mad Jack in somewhat coherently. Once Sarah had finished discussing the plan, she folded up the map placing it inside her red blazer pocket. She looked around at the crew, all faces looked at her. The tank was filled with silence.

"This will be a fun one." Peppermint added clicking her knuckles.

* * *

**D-DAY+3 time (03:00)**

The Cromwell's engine coughed then began to settle down into a mellow purr, Rosehips Crusader moved off, leading the way with only the small marker light on at the back and was driving very slowly which was a strange sight to see. They drove down dirt tracks and open fields using trees and bushes for cover. They used the stars, compasses and map's to guild them. In the distance, Rosehip spotted a small glow through her binoculars. It was where the last enemy tanks were seen that yesterday._ "They must have set up a forward camp."_ Rosehip thought to herself. As they got closer Rosehip could see that, It was a campfire with tank silhouettes rebounding off on a small farmhouse nearby.

"Enemy contact, campsite, ahead 2 clicks away, Southeast, Vanilla and Cranberry follow me to the other side of the hedgerows, we'll drive to the edge of the battlefield border and move down the with a thin strip of open field along the side of the hedgerows to keep hidden. English move to the south with Green flank behind them." Rosehip said as she moved her tank to the left with two other Crusaders following her, crossing over the hedgerow and drove towards the border. Sarah's Cromwell remained still as she brought her head into the tank closing the hatch above her.

"Interior lights on." Sarah said, the intercom the lights turned on as she grabbed a hold of the map, as she examined it, she marked the spotted enemy camp and to the other know enemy encampments.

"What's the plan English?" Green asked over the radio as the tank engines rumbled in their slow monotone.

"We will drive south sticking to the hedgerow to giving us some cover from the new enemy contact. The camp is about 1 mile ahead of the Kuromorimine main camp, so we need to keep concealed, we'll also need to keep a wide berth round both encampments and aim to get around to the back of our main target, this new advanced encampment." Sarah responded back her tone confident with a hint of anxiety.

"Understood, I follow you." Green forwarded back.

"Lights off, Honeybush well try to keep as close as you can to the hedgerows, keep the engine quiet, I'll help guild you." The lights came off as Sarah opened the hatch, as the Cromwell moved followed by Green's Crusader. Sarah crossed her fingers praying not to get spotted as they drove closer and closer to the gap, in-between the advanced camp and Kuromorimine camp, as the guns still fired towards the hill, she kept her eyes peeled, watching for any glowing orbs to fly towards them.

"If I say the word Red, we retreat full speed back to base understood." Sarah commanded over the radio.

"Understood, English." Green replied. They trekked on for another 10 minutes until Sarah heard the faint sound rushing water of the river coming ahead of them.

"Green we are turning left." Sarah whispered. "We should be about a mile behind the advanced camp."

The Cromwell smoothly guided itself behind the advanced camp keeping the small fire in sight, they traversed over thought the hedgerows and set up behind a fallen tree, only ½ a mile behind the camp.

"English here in position, Green is in position as well." Sarah whispered over the radio. Green had her head out of the turret, camera in hand resting the large telephoto lens on top of the turret in the direction of the gun.

Rosehip got out of her tank and rummaged in the storage box on the side of her tank and found a gun. She hopped back into her tank. And ﬁred the ﬂare into the dark abyss above in the direction of the camp. The night became day, revealing the night's secrets there where ten tanks T-34, SU-100 and an IS-2 all of the Chindits opened ﬁre. Shells were coming from all directions of the encampment. Hitting and knocking out some of the tanks. The response was sluggish Pravda didn't seem to expect an attack, their remaining tanks ﬁred back randomly in any direction. Green relentlessly shot frame after frame as her tank fired into the camp.

"All tanks move relocate, fire 3 shells and return back to base do not charge into their camp." Rosehip commanded. All tanks moved into new positions to get more on the flank of the camp and ﬁred again with Sarah and Green moving northwest, as Green continued shooting more pictures. The ﬂare had now ﬁnally fallen to the ground, where Rosehip and her small group slipped away back into the darkness. With Pravda ﬁring tracer rounds into the air with their headlamps on trying to locate the harassers.

"It's time to go Green, full speed follow me." Sarah said, the Cromwell accelerated at full pace directly north as the crow flies. "Don't fire we can't give away our position, I don't think Pravda will take prisoners after that." Sarah spoke with her jokey and relaxed tone blossoming again.

"English how far away are you from the wrecked Sherman's?" Rosehip asked urgently.

"ETA 2 minutes, Green is safe, no shots have come our way… yet."

The tanks finally reached the Sherman scrapheap, where all the Chindits gathered. "This is Rosehip we are returning back to Spitfire base over. All five tanks are undamaged." She opened her hatch and with a torch flashed morose code with her torch at the defensive line.

* * *

**D-DAY+3 time (04:24)**

They finally reached the safety of the forward base at Spitfire. Rosehips Crusader came to a halt, as the others parked alongside her on the runway of Spitfire. She jumped out of the tank as did the other commanders.

"Ladies that was some great work, our first and hopefully not last night attack. I think it went pretty well." Rosehip said with the joy of a young child on a Christmas morning.

"That's the Chindit way, St Gloriana's best." Cranberry added shaking Rosehips hand rather unexpectedly. All the exhausted girls smiled and cheered with that statement.

"Before we finish, I need to write a small report for Darjeeling so any tanks seen, hit, damaged or destroyed. Please point them out on the map." They all pointed on the map for and conferred what they saw, with Rosehip marked with a red wax pen. "Ladies we will return to HQ get some sleep, hot food and relax. We will continue the fight later on today."

"Rosehip that's the best thing you've said this whole battle." Sarah joked with the other girls having a laugh with Rosehip frowning at her, but then joining in.

"Just before I forget." Green passed back the film cartage to Rosehip, along with the camera body lens still attached. "Hopefully I can do this more in the future."

"To take photos of us drifting our tanks for the local paper, in the future maybe. But at the moment we need you commanding a Crusader." Rosehip added slapping her hard on the shoulder as she walked towards her Crusader. "By the way, the last tank to get back to HQ, that tank crew has to wash every Chindit tank." Rosehip snapped quickly as she began to run to her tank. All the commanders looked at each other for a split second and darted back to their tanks.

Sarah quickly climbed into the Cromwell. "Honeybush get us back to HQ it's a race, we can't lose this."

"You just had to say race." Honeybush spoke with a slight coolness to her voice, the meteor engine howled as the Cromwell sped ahead of the other Crusaders, leaving them in the dust, as they tried to catch up to Rosehips head started Crusader.

The Chindits raced back north to the HQ, after a successful raid completed.

* * *

**D-DAY+3 time (08:03)**

The orange ball of fire pierced the horizon, bouncing off the cold metal machines of Kuromorimine, as they lined up on this perfect day of battle with the skies clear and visibly being unimpeded by the weather.

Maho imposing upper body remained outside the commander's hatch, she quickly glanced at the awe-inspiring force of heavy tanks around her, she pinched her throat microphone. "This is commander Maho we are to attack, follow the plan, stick behind the Maus, tank destroyers remain in the rear and provide long distance supporting fire. Panzer, nach vorne!" The tanks moved forward, the formidable Maus leading the spearhead towards the hill.

* * *

"Kay get up, get up Kay!" The walkie talkie screamed.

"What. Is it?" As Kay yawned as woke from her slummed from inside the Sherman leaning on one side of the turret, with a little dribble rolling out the side of her mouth.

"Kuro is coming, they have a Maus and 30+ tanks. Incoming!" Shells smashed all around the landing on the wall, some onto the hill itself. Alisa slid bad into her Sherman. "How can we deal with that, we can only pray!" She shouting into the radio.

"We can't pray. The church is destroyed!" Kay dropped the walkie talkie on the turret basket, she breathed heavily, the visions on the burning bonfire filled her head. She snapped out of the trance, grabbing the microphone. "Destiny calls ladies, and it's our time to answer it. To the wall, bombard them, slow them down. We will not make it easy for them for every single inch they try to take. We will knock out one of theirs in return." The horde of Sherman's began to move placing their turrets over the top of the wall, with the barrels protruding over the top. The line of panzers slowly making their way towards them.

"We need to take out that Maus!" Kay commanded on the radio. "All tanks focus fire on it, disable it, knock out its gun, tracks anything to make it a 300-ton statue. Remember we have the high ground the upper part of the hulls is weaker! Commence firing now!" The 75 and 76mm shells flew out in unison, barraging the steel beast. The smoke from the shells cleared but the Maus still moved ever closer.

Naomi peered through the sight the mighty brute, it was maybe less than a mile away from the foot of Winston. _"If I hit there that might do it." _She thought to herself "How many sabots rounds we got?" She asked her loader intently.

"Only two." The loaded said lifting one of the ammo storage containers as the dim interior light fell onto the razor-sharp point of the round.

"OK load it." Naomi ordered.

The loader lifted the round out then ramming it into the breach. "Loaded." As the breech closed behind the projectile.

"Firing." The blinding light and thunderous bang, with the dart flying out of the gun. It hit the Maus on the turret cheek, compressing and only denting the Maus turret.

"Again." Naomi shouted at her loader. The loader lifted the final round slamming it into the breach with the utmost force. "Loaded. Come on shell hit home, hit true."

"Firing" The ear-splitting noise and explosion of white light signifying the round had vacated the barrel. Naomi opened her eyes as the dart flew towards the target. "come on, come on." The shell collided with the underside of the turret, the curved shape directing it downwards, but not enough, the round impacted the turret ring. The Maus was damaged but only offensively as it still moved ever closer leading the charge. Naomi placed her head in her hands as she beat herself up. The only tank that could knock out the Maus at this range had failed.

"Sniper, how things down your end?" Was the call from Kay on the radio.

Naomi leaned her head back looking up at the turret roof with the cream bulb. "Kay, I'm sorry I let you down, I think I've knocked out the turret ring but…"

"What you mean Naomi! The Maus is pulling back you must have damaged it more than you thought, I'm so happy you're on our side. Now as you said 'this is when we rain all hell and fire on them.' Let's show 'em." Kay jubilant tone could not be missed with that transmission.

Naomi looked through the scope the Maus slowly reversed back its turret jammed about 10 degrees off to one side. The other heavy tanks started to spread out and push forward at full speed. "Ironside's how many tanks have we lost?" Naomi called on the radio, knowing that the battle was only beginning.

"We have lost 5 tanks so far. Crews cannot get outs the area is too hot still." Was a call from her vice commander.

"Kay we may need the Flying Tigers up here. I've lost 5 tanks."

"I've lost 3 so far. Alisa get the rest of the Flying Tigers up here." Kay responded back.

"Yes, Kay I bet you were praying." Alisa joked.

"Not really, I had complete faith in Adelbert Waldron, here." Kay added confidence brimming.

* * *

**D-DAY+3 time (11:02)**

In the makeshift darkroom, Sarah and Assam went through the finally dry film. They enlarged the images onto A4 light-sensitive paper and went throw the photography process. After all the images were done and everything packed away, they turned on the white light and began to scan the images with a magnifying glass.

Assam looked down at the chromed images of flashing gun barrels with frozen shell tracers caught in mid-air by the film. "Thanks for giving me a hand with this English. You must still be very tired."

"That fine I only sleep 6 hours tops anyway so 4 is ok, and anyway I'm your intelligence assistant so I should really be here anyway."

"You did well last night that looks like 2 knocked out T-34 and a possible SU-100." Assam said still eyes glued to the photos.

"Rosehips plan was good, I told her about mad Jack Churchill a couple of weeks ago I think that's her new idol". Sarah said back looking at her images. "James told me about him, he was a commando who said that 'In my opinion, sir, any officer who goes into action without his sword is improperly dressed.' He killed a German soldier at Dunkirk with a bow and arrow, what a mad man. But his tactic that he would use with his commando's would be to surround a group of encamped soldiers and fire everything all at once. Most of the time Mad Jacks commandos were heavily outnumbered, but the sheer shock would force the enemy soldiers to surrender, thinking they were the ones outnumbered. James uses these tactics as well for London United and previously at Bovington."

"Kay said she loved hearing the fireworks early this morning." Assam said back.

"Really?" Sarah added

"No, she said it ruined her sleep. And I've given you the privilege of not using any expletives she used."

"Oh, Kay she's so funny." Sarah said as she continued looking at the images when something caught her eye. "Assam look at this." Assam walked over Sarah passed her over the glass and pointed near the farmhouse the object was the size of a pea. "Look at that."

"It looks like a ...no no but Pravda couldn't afford that!" Assam said back in horror.

"But it definitely is that's a pike nose if I've ever seen one."

"Let's check the other photos and just pray it's not in these ones either." Sadly, for Assam It was.  
They enlarged the small object and quickly got to Darjeeling small outdoors shack office. They knocked on her door.

"Come in." Was the response.

Orange was there with the table with the map on top pointing to it. "So Kuromorimine has taken heavy losses trying to take Winston we are on standby here in case, they need us for reinforcements."

"What about Belfast is there any news from there?" Darjeeling quired looking down at the map as she drew lines with red and blue wax pens onto the map.

"No, nothing no movement from Pravda." Orange added.

"Spitfire? How's it there?" Darjeeling probed.

"At the moment nothing is happening in their sector. Pravda might be taking a back seat?"

"Unfortunately, I don't think so." Assam said interjecting. "Its bad news Darjeeling, Pravda has a new weapon on the battlefield, an IS-3. At the advanced camp that the Chindits attacked early this morning." She showed her the enlarged images.

"Get everything to Spitfire now! The object of waging a war is always to be in a better position in which to wage another war." As she stood,Sarah ran to dormitory inside the HQ, once there she began to knock furiously on the first door.

"Rosehip we have to go." Rosehip opened the door still in pyjamas her hair all over the place, her eyelids barely lifting.

"What's the news?" Rosehip said yawning, Sarah showed her the picture. Rosehips eyes immediately widened. "Get everyone up now."

"Yes, Rosehip." Sarah said she ran up and down the dormitory bashing on the doors. "Scramble, scramble." She shouted at the top of her lungs.

Rosehip slammed her door as she held her frayed red coat in her hands," I need you to bring me luck." putting on her coat over her pyjamas.

The Chindits crews were out all out in under two minutes climbing inside their tanks waiting for the go-ahead by their tank commanders. The commander's standing outside of their tanks waiting for orders from Darjeeling, other St Gloriana students where running to their tanks and getting in.  
Darjeeling walked out of her office with Orange Pekoe and Assam joining her. "Everyone we need to get to Spitfire immediately, new information has come to light, that a heavy attack is inbound. Chindits we need you to hold the Winston flank and attack in their side when most ample. She said in her usual tone but in a louder volume."

The Chindits commanders climbed into their tanks "Get us to our Winston holding position." Sarah ordered over the intercom. All the Chindits engines turned on simultaneously, with Rosehip's Crusader speeding off first with the others in hot pursuit.

The others force comprised of Matilda's, Valentine's and a couple of Churchill III headed to Spitfire, with Darjeeling's mighty Churchill Mark VII leading the way.

"Are you sure you want to use all reserves on this defence?" Orange Pekoe asked as the tank trundled along the metal wheels screeching on steel tracks.

"If we lose Spitfire, and then Belfast this is over for us." Darjeeling spoke with her teacup in hand.

"Saunders is holding off a heavy Kuromorimine attack as we speak. If they can't hold out, we are going to be slaughtered. What if they need reinforcements?" Orange added, scratching her chin.

Darjeeling glanced over to Orange Pekoe "A ship in harbour is safe, but that is not what ships are built for." As she sipped on her tea.

Assam then looked over to Orange Pekoe. "This gives Pravda the best time to attack. We need to hold fast like Kay and Miho are doing and have done. We can let them down." Darjeeling stared at Assam and nodded in agreement.

The radio came to life. "Darjeeling Pravda have begun their attack. They are coming down the road with the IS-3 you warned me of, it's leading the way, looks to be 10 tanks following." Said Rukuriri as she tried to speak back calmly but her true emotion was obvious to all those listening.

"We will be there in 10 minutes hold out." Darjeeling called back.

"Roger. What are they doing?" Rukuriri said over the radio.

"Rukuriri explain!"

"The IS-3 it's turning its gun backwards, it's speeding up, the IS-3 isn't turning its coming straight at us!" She yelled out her voice drenched in terror.

The IS-3 powerhouse smashed into the earthworks bulldozed the soil and foliage out of the way with its piked noise.

"All tanks fire take out everything." The Matilda's two pounder shells didn't even scratch the paintwork of the IS-3, even though most were only 50 meters away from the monster. The IS-3 pushed forward as the barrel turned towards Rukuriri's Matilda.

"My troop, hold for as long as we can buy time for Darjeeling's company. Good luck."

The 122mm gun incinerated her tank, as the white flag raised at once. The Pravda column flooded through the gap, as Rukuriri's troop held out fighting to the last tank but the ending was inevitable.

"All tanks hold at the Bern, just after Spitfire." Darjeeling commanded to her company. As her tanks slowly moved south of Spitfire. "Get hull down. Prepare for a bombardment on the attack tanks." Darjeeling opened her hatch spotting the Chindits in the distance already in position at the north of Winston. She sighed she knew the writing was on the wall, her force would not make it in time. The Pravda attack needed to be delayed.

"Chindits you are going to have to attack the flanks now, we can't hold them in our current position, and we won't make it to our defensive position in time. Slow their advanced as best as you can. This may be a one-way mission for you and I'm sorry." Darjeeling said with indefinite regret.

"Understood Darjeeling, we fear nought." Rosehip responded confidently back, "Chindits, Darjeeling needs us to attack now, use the wrecks of the Easy 8's and push into the hedgerows, we'll flank behind them. Expect attacks from both Kuromorimine from the south and Pravda in the east."

"Understood!" Was the callback.

"If you thought joining the Chindits would be easy, ha ha sucks to be you. Let's show Darjeeling why we are the best of the best at St Gloriana's!" Rosehip spoke into her microphone. "A one-way mission. I see that as a challenge." Rosehip muttered to herself.

They began their charge, Kuromorimine tanks fired towards them, shots flew towards them but fast and unpredictable driving saved the Chindits their tanks. They dived onto the easy 8 scrap yard, giving them a little cover from the onslaught of Kuromorimine shells.

"Once we crest the earthworks, we go full speed spread out attacking the enemy main priority is to buy time if possible second objective is to take out the IS-3." Rosehip confirmed over the radio.

The four Crusaders and Cromwell launched themselves over the earthworks crashing over the hedgerows, then spread out. All commanders were looking out of there turrets looking for the enemy, microphone at the ready. Sarah stuck to the main road to keep the speed high, she saw the destroyed earthworks caused by the IS-3 as a T-34-85 rolled through it. "Enemy! On the main road north of the curve 100 meters!" She called as the T-34-85 rolled backwards, the engine deck beckoned "Jasmine fire." The 75mm hit the drive sprocket immobilising the tank. The T-34-85 couldn't move its gun stuck in between the hedgerows.

"_Kelly's heroes' syndrome."_ Sarah thought to herself. "Once we get to the rear, stop and fire." She spoke calmly and precisely to the crew. The Cromwell slowed and stopped perfectly in line, hitting the rear, the flag appeared. Sarah turned her head to look down the main road south 600 meters away she saw on Crusader drifting around another T-34-85 hitting the engine deck knocking it out. "Good shooting Rosehip." She said over the radio.

"Cranberry, here we've been taken out by an IS-2. But we took it out in turn."

"English join me I'm going to take out the IS-3." Vanilla said over the radio.

"Where are you, where is the IS-3?" Sarah responded back shocked.

"I'm on the other side of the hedgerow same side as Spitfire lots of targets here!"

"Rosehip do you wish to join me?" Sarah added looking down the road as Rosehips Crusader moved towards her.

"Of course. You can't have all the fun."

Rosehip tank speed towards the hedgerow, Sarah's Cromwell still remained still, Sarah thought she would stop and they would go over together, but she was wrong the Crusader seemed to pick up more speed, hitting the earthworks and flying over the top.

"She's crazy." She said shaking her head. "Honeybush over the top let's go. Guys good luck, try your best. Lets see how many tanks we can take out."

They climbed over the earthworks into a large field with trees and bushes with Spitfire a mile or so in the distance. One IS-2 was knocked out with Cranberry's next to it, all the Pravda tanks were spread out in all different directions.

"Honeybush we will flank right full speed, we only stop once we are hit ok." Sarah commanded over the intercom.

"Yes English." Honeybush said back sounding as keen as Rosehip. The Cromwell sped off to the right-hand side of the field, as Crusaders weaved in an out of Pravda tanks like pestering mosquitoes.

"Vanilla where's the IS-3?" Rosehip yelled over the roar of her engine.

"It's the furthest tank north heading towards Spitfire."

"Understood, English you attack to it's east, Green to its west, I'll take the rear. Vanilla make some new friends in the south, make sure they cannot support their leader."

All the tanks commanded too converged onto the IS-3, with the rest of the Pravda tanks trying to keep up with the advancing IS-3, whilst firing unsuccessfully on the move at the pursuing Chindits, as Vanilla aggravated the trailing Pravda tanks by hitting their tracks and damaging their gun barrels.

The IS-3 slowly came to a halt, turning its turret towards Rosehip's tank, she was in only 300 meters away if she could get a little closer, she could take it out. The dark barrel exploded with fire and noise, as the shell howled towards her tank, she closed her eyes; the tank lurched sideways to the right as she heard the explosion from the shell. She looked out of her vision blocks as Vanilla's tank smouldered white flagged beside her. She looked behind her as the track marks showed the story as, Vanilla's tank drove in front to take the hit.

"Vanilla why?"

"We need you Rosehip in a Crusader more than ever, don't throw it away."

Rosehip smiled and grasped the microphone. "Next time Vanilla get a driver with two working eyes! Bye!" Her tank fired at the rear of the IS-3 which harmlessly ricocheted off. Rosehip seeing the IS-3 barrel still facing her. She sighed and heeded the advice so her fallen comrade. "Driver head northwest full speed make sure to go behind Greens tank, we don't want a friendly fire incident."

"Understood." The Crusader flew off avoiding the IS-3 barrel by out speeding the turret rotation.

The time had come to strike, Sarah's Cromwell charged in from the east firing and hitting the side of the tank doing nothing, they fired again closing the distance to 100 meters as it bounced off the side of the turret with Green on the opposite side having just as much luck, as her Crusader dodging the IS-3 122mm shell by a couple of inches as it fell past the side of her tank.

"We can't take it out Rosehip!" Sarah shouted over the radio.

"Do the next best thing immobilise it!" Rosehip called back.

Sarah's mind raced, as the idea spring into her head. "Jasmine aim for the tracks hit them. Peppermint HE."

"Understood." A confused peppermint responded back, picking up and ramming a HE shell in the breach.

"Firing." The shell exploded near the front splitting the tracks as the fell of the runners and also damaging the idler wheel knocking off a couple of the teeth.

Darjeeling stood on top of her Churchill observing the skirmish through her binoculars, as they had finally made it to the Bern just south of Spitfire.

"How's the battle going?" Orange pekoe asked.

"They have proved there worth. I think English and Green have disabled the IS-3 for now. But I fear we are playing with fire and we are about to get burnt" She picked up the microphone from inside the turret. "Chindits retreat now."

"Darjeeling we can't we…"

"That's an order Rosehip."

"Yes, understood." Came the dismayed voice of Rosehip.

The mauled Chindits headed north shots still flying their way. "We did good out there I think." Peppermint yelled over the noise of the tanks even with the intercom set it was incredibly hard to hear. "Darjeeling would be proud."

Sarah's head was out still keeping an eye out. "She would be happy. HONEYBUSH LEFT STICK!"

The tank immediately turned left as a shell slammed off the right side of the turret as the shell crashed into the dirt, Sarah looked over to see that the shelled left a large gash and shirred off a couple of the large bolts on the side of the turret.

"Honey we need to keep zig-zagging It seems we're not out of danger. Peppermint fire smoke!" She looked behind her the Pravda tanks had stopped and were firing at the defensive line and at them, as a small cloud began for formed behind them from the smoke grenade launched by Peppermint.

"Chindits, Thank you did the impossible and returned. The IS-3 should be out of commission for at least 12 hours hopefully more. Now I need you to go to your previous positions near Winston and hold there."

"Understood." Rosehip said back, "Time to go back to our favourite spot guys. Back to Winston"

"Yes, Rosehip." The last remaining Chindit commanders said back collectively.

* * *

**D-DAY+3 time (11:43)**

"Duck team here, Tanks approaching. About 15." The radio chattered.

"Is everyone ready!" Miho called on the radio.

"Yes!" was the callback from a variety of voices.

"We do not have support from Winston so we need to hold them here." Miho slid back into the turret, she looked at the map of the town on the turret wall, all the tanks hidden in the wreckage at choke points along all the roads leading into the town centre. As the tanks with the most powerful guns remained hidden in a forest north of Belfast readying for a counter attack.

Duck team drove out in front of Belfast and then retreated back in hoping to incite some into following her into the trap. The tank stopped at a wrecked house, Noriko opened the commander's hatch and looked out above the rubble. "Miho tanks have not followed us they have split and are circling around the town."

"Understood. Hippo, Leopon, Turtle teams if they flank behind take them out."

"Rabbit team here Tanks have stopped out our position do we fire?"

"Anteater team here they have stopped her too."

Pravda had only enveloped half of the town taking positions at a 9 o'clock, 7 o'clock, 4 o'clock and 3 o'clock areas, refusing to go to further north. Miho pinned red circled magnets on the map on the side of the turret.

"Duck team here, they are moving into the town!"

"All tanks fire on the lead tanks slow their advance, then retreat back to the forest we will take it the battle to them tonight."

All the tanks took aim and fired knocking out all four tanks that were leading each individual column, blocking the roads and making it impossible to shoot back at the Ooarai tanks as they swiftly retreated north to the forest, with Miho panzer IV leading the tactical retreat.

"Duck team here looks like more Pravda tanks coming in from the south, looks to be SU-152 tank and KV-2 assault tanks, if we did stop them, they would have destroyed the whole town I'm guessing."

"Thanks for the update this is good for us we can still use the buildings later. All tanks in the forest fall back and keep hidden." Miho looked down to Saori, adjusting the radio. "Saori inform Darjeeling we are tactically retreating we will take Belfast back tonight in a counter-attack."

"Understood Miho." Saori moved the frequency's "This is Belfast, the ship is flooded will counter flood as the sun sails off."

All the Ooarai tanks fell back into the forest. The emergency frequency came on **"This is the JSF the objective the town has been taken team one has till 11:56 of day 4 to take back the town. Over."**

_"Let's hope this counter-attack works tonight."_ Miho fought to herself as she opened the hatch hearing the raging battle for Winston.

* * *

**D-DAY+3 time (12:15)**

"Company we need to hold this line as long as possible if this spearhead is stopped, the flood will be contained." Darjeeling commanded as she looked at through her binoculars onto the oncoming force.

The battle for Spitfire intensified, the Bern gave the St Gloriana tanks hull down cover, but there was no sunken ground behind them, so the turrets of the tanks stayed exposed. The Pravda force of T-34-85's and IS-2's pressed forward bouncing shot after shot from the lacklustre St Gloriana guns, the IS-3 still in its immobile position about a mile south of Bern placed accurate fire onto the defensive line knocking some of the defending tanks out.

"Darjeeling, we have no more high penetration rounds!" Orange Pekoe called out to Darjeeling.

"Understood if we can immobilise them, Assam please aim for tracks, HE please Orange."

Darjeeling looked to her company as more and more white flags were being raised, as the Pravda tanks grew ever nearer now only 300 meters away.

"Assam IS-2 ahead 11 o'clock."

"Firing." The shell hit the track of the IS-2 as heavy metal track flopped over the idler wheel. The 122mm barrel then lined up on the Churchill. Darjeeling quick retreating into the tank closing the hatch.

"To understand life, endure pain." Darjeeling spoke extremely calmly to Orange Pekoe.

"Um, yes Darjeeling very true." Orange responded back a little puzzled glancing back at her with a HE shell in hand.

Assam understood Darjeeling cypher, as she saw the flash from the barrel of the IS-2 threw her gun sight. She forced her eyes shut and covered her head with her hands.

The impact was extremely violent, Orange landed her back onto the turret basket falling onto the basket with a large crash, with Darjeeling bashing the back of her head on slightly padded cupola, Assam was hurled from her seat scrapping her arm on the gun breach tearing her sleeve off her battledress exposing cuts on her skin. Once the tank settled, with the white flag waving boldly signalling Pravda's victory.

"As much as I love this tank, I'm afraid it's time for the special." Darjeeling said with a grin to her face, as she offered Orange a hand. Orange took hold as Darjeeling pulled her up helping Orange to her seat.

Assam slid back onto her chair still a little worse for where, as something began to irritate her noise. "Can you smell burning?" She questioned.

"Yes, I can." Darjeeling responded, she picked up the microphone. "Driver any alarms for an engine fire?"

"No nothing."

Darjeeling looked around the tank a small trail of white smoke came out of a small metal box on the back left of the turret. She looked at the box it had red writing on it.

'TANK COMPUTER DO NOT OPEN! CERTIFIED BY THE JSF.'

"Screwdriver." Darjeeling called for. Orange passed on over to her, as she unscrewed the screw and pried open the heavy metal box, the motherboard was fine just a blue cable was smoking, with the thick smell of burning plastic coming from it.

"Driver turn all the electrics off. We have a small electrical fire."

"Understood." The driver flicked the fuse box, the tanks lights all turned off covering the interior in darkness the only light coming in was through the vision blocks, with the radio finally becoming silent as the electricity was slowly sipped away.

"Water please, Assam." Darjeeling added.

Assam passed it over to her as she poured in on the cable area with the sound of the water fizzing and steaming.

"As we all know I would not want to be in this situation, I want to get out of this tank as well but the area is still too hot." Darjeeling spoke to her battered crew. "But once we are free and we are in our new tank. In moments of pain, we will seek our revenge."

After Darjeeling's Churchill was disabled, the line soon collapsed under the strain with St Gloriana tanks falling back. The Pravda force advanced towards the long, levelled runway of the objective, moving forward cautiously expecting an ambush as the tanks huddled together in a pack, as the commanders opened their hatches, looking for any sign of movement as they scanned the dark shaded aircraft hangars, to the large rectangular control tower and other small buildings scattered around the airfield.

The radio crackled into life on the emergency frequency **"This is the JSF the objective the airfield has been taken team one has till 00:34 ****of day 4 ****to take back the airfield. Over."**

"Green, once the fighting dies down her get Darjeeling and her crew back to HQ fast. Without her, we can't win this battle." Rosehip sated over the radio. "Me and English are going to remain here just north of Winston." They positioned themselves, behind the raised road to remain hidden and were split a hundred meters away from each other as there tanks faced towards the now captured Spitfire.

"Yes, Rosehip it will be done." Green responded back.

Rosehip and Sarah had their heads out of their tanks looking out on the carnage around Spitfire as the St Gloriana tanks either fell back or were knocked out fighting to buy time for the other retreating.

Sarah stood on top of her commander's chair to pear just over the raised road ahead of them, scouting through her binoculars as small black blobs moved onto the airfield. "Looks like they have more reinforcements moving on Spitfire." Sarah sighed her disappointment was immeasurable from her tone of voice to her body language, "Katyusha must be ecstatic taking two objectives."

"Well get them back don't you worry, Ooarai probably have a plan and we're the Chindits, St Gloriana best." Rosehip her voice as fast and as confident as ever.

"We can only do so much with only three tanks Rosehip." Sarah said as she looked over to Rosehip, only wishing she could have as much confidence in a dire situation like this.

"But if we could take out the IS-3 that would be it for them." Rosehip pondered, scratching her head.

"Rosehip I know you want to stick it to 'em, but you know we have no more Crusaders after Vanilla and Cranberry get back, they are going to be in Cruiser MK III's and IV's. And this is the only Cromwell." Sarah added disheartened taking off her beret and cleaning the badge with her red coat. She sat on the top of the commander's hatch with her feet dangling off, the side of the large war scar still visible on the side of the turret. As a small smile crept onto her face. "But I would be funny to see you in a Churchill gun carrier."

"I am your commanding officer English! I would take that Cromwell off your hands." Even though Sarah couldn't quite see Rosehip see felt Rosehip's eyes on her like daggers. "And I think I would get more kills than that, your crew has how many so far, four?" She added snarkily.

Sarah instantly pressed down the button on the microphone she would not take that lying down. "You little …" Sarah responded as the radio loudspeaker kicked in.

"This is an emergency call we need medical evac now on position AH12. ASAP!" Was the call on the radio with a girl sounding extremely distressed.

"English, me and you are close to that position we can offer help." Rosehip said snapping into a commanding serious tone.

"Understood."

The Cromwell and Crusader engines roared to life and they charged towards the emergency call.

On Winston.

**Where to begin, Mad Jack succeed but operation Mars has had a lot of success only the hill objective has not been taken. Can the Pravda and Kuromorimine team hold the objectives? But can Ooarai counter attack reset the timer? can St Glorina take back Spitfire? And what is this emergency call on Winston? All to come in the next Chapter.**

**Review time, well it could get darker but on the other hand, it could get lighter really depends on Sleipnir. (Most likely it will go a smidge darker)**

**If you want a map to understand what the battlefield looks like, I've made a basic one, if you go to flickr and search username - Montysmypython it's there.**

**If you want to give me some feedback please leave a review its always appreciated.**


	6. Chapter 6: D-Day plus 3 Part II

**Chapter 6** **D-DAY+3 part II**

**D-DAY+3 time (14:28)**

Kuromorimine was taking heavy losses but continued on regardless as they began traversing the base of the hill upwards, with wrecks of destroyed tanks around with the beautiful morning sunlight being replaced by thick overcast clouds. The wall around the southern part of the hill was as making hitting the Sherman's above a lot harder than expected as well as giving them extra protection for the defenders which what was thought possible by Maho and her intelligence officers.

"Gunner one o'clock see that target?!" Maho shouted over the intercom, over the raging noise of battle outside, with her Tiger taking cover from a knocked-out panther.

"Yes, the Sherman Firefly." The gunner responded back looking through the main periscope.

"Knock it out, that tank is causing most of our loses!" The Tiger rocked violently, as a shell hit the earth nearby. The gunner moved her eyes back to the gun sight and lined up the barrel onto the target, adding small adjustments on the traverse wheel.

"Understood firing!" The breach was forced backwards by the power of the shell, as the projectile darted towards the Firefly.

* * *

Kay decided to have her commanders hatch open and half only the top part of head out just so she could keep a better eye out on her slowly withering numbers of tanks. The Tigers powerful 88mm expertly hit Firefly turret, on the opposite side of the coaxial machinegun. Kay heard the unmistakable thud of an impacting shell on steel, she looked over towards the Firefly, three crew members were bailing out, it must be severe if they're bailing out in the heat of the battle. One crew member remained on top looking like they were trying to pull someone out of the turret, as flames poured from the engine deck and smoke came out of the open hatches.

"NO NO NO NOT AGAIN." Kay shouted in rage, as she jumped out of her tank running to the burning firefly, through the thick sticky mud with the shells crashing all around it was like a scene from the great war of old.

"WHERE'S NAOMI!?" Kay barked.

"We can't get her out." Shouted the crew member standing next to the turret, with her arms in the commander's cupola.

Kay scrambled up on the tank in a mad dash up to the turret, she looked down in the turret Naomi was halfway between the gunner's seat and commander's seat not moving with a dark liquid coming down the side of her head.

Kay pushed the girl aside and climbed into the turret, she moved past the commander's seat lent down and put both her arms under Naomi's armpits, locked her hands around her chest and lifted up she moved her and placed her on the commander's seat. The tank was now starting to fill with fire the girl on top pulled and Kay pushed Naomi's lifeless body out. They passed her body down slowly making sure not to injure her more. Kay jumped out of the turret with her jacket on fire and onto the floor where she rolled to take the energy of the fall in the thick mud, she threw her soldering jacket on the floor.

"EVERYONE GET BACK! IT'S GONNA BLO…." The firefly then was consumed by the fire, large columns of fire came out of the open hatches like mini fire tornadoes with a hissing sound, then a deep boom came, the turret flew off 3 meters into the air landing on the back of the engine deck.

* * *

"All tanks cease-fire." Came the call from Maho. "All tanks stay here I'm going to offer assistance, this looks like an emergency."

"Please don't go Maho." Erika pleaded. "We can't let them take you out emergency or not."

"To everyone listening on the radio, apart from Erika switch off your radio now. That's an order." Maho gave it a couple of seconds. "Erika I will be assisting them understood, and if I happen to stumble on their reserves and other tank placements that we can't see from our current location they will be noted, see this is a light-hearted scouting mission."

She switched to the intercom "Driver to the top of the hill." Maho scavenged around in the tank and found a white handkerchief; she had her head out of the commander's copula and waved it whitest the tank drove up, None of the Sherman's fired back, not even a gun traversed to track them it looked as if all the tanks were abandoned.

Maho Tiger reached the top of the war-torn hill with wrecks, shell holes and rubble from the now completely destroyed church scattered the ground. The Tiger stopped and its engine purred as it was turned off. Maho climbed off the Tiger and walked calmly over to see a sea of Sanders students gathered around Kay who was kneeling next to the laid-out body of Naomi her head being cushioned by a jacket on the floor, with Kay holding her hand.

* * *

"Get medics here now!" Kay shouted, her throat raw and shaking with tears flooding her face, some ran to their tanks some stood still, not knowing what to do as they saw their commander in extreme agony. "You're going to be ok Naomi, they're coming. Just hold on please." Kay begged as she started rocking forwards and backwards not knowing what to do.

"I'm here to offer my assistance." Came a calm voice outside of the group.

Kay recognised the voice, triggering adrenaline to pull through her veins. "YOU!" Kay stood up wiping the tears off her face and faced Maho her rage was plain for all to see.

Maho just blinked slowly in disbelief but her face and body remained cold and detached from the whole situation. "What's happened?"

"You know what has happened." Kay retorted with immeasurable anger, walking up to Maho her hands were now fists. "This is your last chance to ﬁght against her proving to us, your mother and the world that you are better than her and well if there was only one Nishizumi left."

"What are you trying to say Kay?"

Maho emotionless face, added fuel to the fire, the lack of any emotion from Maho giving evidence to Kay's claim. "Well, wouldn't it be a shame if a live shell got put 'accidentally' in your team's ammo stock. You're trying to kill your sister..."

Maho crossed her arms. "Kay, are you even listening to yourself?"

"What's the saying it takes a few broken eggs to make an omelette so a couple of dead Saunders, Ooarai and St Gloriana students is ok for the greater good." Kay stopped a couple of centimetres away from Maho's face.

Maho now a little taken aback by Kays aggressive stance, began adding a little bit of sympathy to her tone. "You're all wrong kay I would never …"

"You have one god damn fucking second to say you haven't got anything to do with this."

"…Kay I would never do something like this." Maho placed her hands by her chest shaking them slightly, as she felt a by alarmed by Kay's manifestations of anger and rage pinpointed all at her.

Kay looked over to Naomi, then to the clouded sky where the bell tower once stood and looked back her eyes fixated on Maho. Her mind was made up. She grabbed Maho by the hair and threw her hard into the mud once she was down kicked her in the ribs.

The Tiger's crew jumped out of the tank to help protect their commander, but were immediately surrounded by furious Saunders tank crew's block their path. There was no chance of them stopping this.

Maho rolled over face looking up in the grey clouds above still winded, Kay then kicked her in the in the side of the face.

"You put this on yourself, you fucking bitch." She walked over to a neighbouring tank and slid the tanker bar off the back of the tank.

"Why Maho!? Why did you do this!? Why has it had to come this!?" Kay shouted at the unmoving Maho, she walked over dragging the back of the heavy tanker bar in the mud. She got to Maho and lifted the bar above her head, Maho looked up with mud all over her face but saw the silhouette of Kay, and she rolled away from her as the bar came down with a mighty thwack. Maho covered in thick mud, pushed herself up and tackled Kay in the midriff pushing her to the ground. Maho dived upon her getting on top of her shaking Kays upper body.

"Kay stop this now!" Maho yelled so what her voice felt like it was burning.

Kays' hand moved around the floor trying to grab something. "You can't kill anyone else if you're dead."

Maho was stunned by this and subconscious punched Kay on her across cheek in a pure fit of rage. Kay found something hard by her side as she weathered the blows from Maho, she took a hold of the object swinging it at Maho's head, knocking her off.

Kay got up, spitting out some of the iron liquid entering her mouth, from a slit lip and threw the brick at Maho body. She dragged the somewhat comatosed Maho by the ruff of her neck on her uniform, through the mud to the front of the neighbouring Sherman. Kay grabbed her hair forcing Maho bloody, swollen, muddy face to look at Kay, with fire reflecting in her eyes from the burning Firefly.

"You brought me to this." Kay growled, letting go of Maho's hair with her head dropped to her chest.

"Please… Kay..." Maho mumbled incoherently.

Kay swung her solid fist hitting the underside of Maho chin, causing her to hit the back of her head on the front plate of the Sherman. Maho crumpled and fell lifeless on her side with ruby red dribbles running down the front of the Sherman.

The scene was carnage the smoke of the tank could be seen miles away, as the Cromwell and Crusader tanks climbed the back of the hill. They saw a Tiger with Kuromorimine students sitting on the floor hands above their heads surrounded by Saunders students. Sarah and Rosehip climbed out of their tanks with first aid kits in hand. Sarah saw Maho on the floor on her side motionless isolated with red and brown marks around her face. She ran over to Maho immediately, she felt her pulse it was frail but still alive.

"Peppermint, Jasmine I need help now! Honeybush get more help up here now!" Sarah shouted.

The two crew members ran over to her, with Honeybush climbed back into the battered Cromwell.

"Is she alive?" Peppermint shouted back with real terror in her voice.

"Yes! But barely." Sarah yelled back.

Kay still drenched in mud, who was over at Naomi helping Rosehip with the bandages stopped instantly, hearing what Sarah's had shouted to her collages, she stood and began walking over to the helpless Maho. "I'll make sure that she isn't." Kay yelled picking up a brick off the ground.

Sarah looked up at the yelled, she saw Kay furious, war-torn face and her eyes full of unbridled rage. She couldn't let her get to Maho she had to stop her. She ran over to Kay. "Kay stop." Begging with her.

"No, she is the one behind it she did that." Pointing to the burning Firefly. "And Katyusha, they were the ones that burnt one of your Matilda's."

"They were accidents." Sarah pleaded with Kay.

"I've been doing Sensha-Dō for many years now and this is no accident." Kay yelled at the top of her lungs. As she barged past Sarah.

"Kay stop now." As Sarah held onto her arm to pull her back.

Kay struggled trying to shake Sarah's grip off of her. "Let go of me now or you will fucking join her."

Sarah just held on even tighter digging her heels into the slushing mud but her feet not getting any grip, sliding in the brown sludge. Kay's free arm swung around with the brick in her hand hitting Sarah right in the temple, her beret ripped of her head off her pin-curled hair by the impact and she fell face first into the mud, Peppermint ran over to her fallen commander oblivious to Kay.

"Rosehip help!" Peppermint cried as she kneeled by her incapacitated commander.

Kay continued walking hell-bent on finishing what she had started; Jasmine who was wrapping bandages on Maho, looked overseeing them as she saw her commander hit the mud, she stood in front of Kay. "Kay, please stop." She said firmly.

"No move out of the fucking way now!" Kay commanded she was now in no mood to be confronted again..

Jasmine didn't move a muscle and just looked dead into deep blue Kay's eyes contrasting to the hazel of Jasmines. Kay swung her arm back with the brick, Jasmine ducked the swing and kicked Kay's legs from under her, Kay fell back, Jasmine launched herself on top of Kay trying her best to restrain both of her arms.

Rosehip ran over to her vice commander in a mad dash, as Peppermint slowly turned her so she was now face up to reveal a massive gash on the side of Sarah's head, with Rosehip frantically cleaning the wound and put a large bandage over the top to stop the heavy bleeding, with Sarah's light wheezing breath the only indication she was somewhat still alive.

The rumble of an engine approached, it was Greens Crusader climbing up the hill and landed with a thud as it crested the hill. Darjeeling jumped out of the turret hatch, she ran over to her stricken crew member on the floor kneeling next to Sarah holding her cold mud covered hand.

"What happened?" she asked urgently.

"It's Kay!" Rosehip responded back with her focused only on Sarah, but quickly pointed in the direction of the large noise coming from Kay and Jasmine Pearl fighting each other, Darjeeling looked over.

Kay screamed and yelled, she broke one arm free from Jasmine's grip and punched her in the nose blood began to stream out. Jasmines other grip on her other hand lightened, Kay broke her arm free and pushed Jasmine on her back and with her muddy hands began to strangle Jasmine, she squirmed and wriggled but couldn't break free, as she gasped for her last breath.

"KAY YOU STOP RIGHT NOW!" The calm and collected Darjeeling had gone, as she placed Sarah hand delicately on the floor, as she firmly marched over to Kay, her face one of unrestrained wrath.

Kay looked over to the familiar but off toned voice of Darjeeling, letting go of Jasmine who coughed and spluttered in the mud, with her neck a deep burgundy with mud and blood all over her face.

"LOOK KAY, LOOK WHAT YOU HAVE DONE!" Pointing to Sarah still motionless with now Orange Pekoe and Assam helping with the first aid.

"Maho and Katyusha are behind it." Kay said, finally catching her breath as she became slightly subsided.

"Behind what!?" shouted back Darjeeling now only a couple of inches from Kays' face, as spit flew into her face.

"The tanks becoming death traps!"

"What?"

"They are using live shells."

"Kay! What are you say?" Darjeeling questioned with an assertive tone. "What evidence do you have? Where's the penetration hole!" She yelled pointing at the Firefly. "And what shells can punch throw the carbon coating armour Kay?!"

Kay's mouth was open, but she couldn't formulant any words as she tried to convince herself to her own conspiracy theory. "But… but the tanks look." As she pointed to the still smouldering Firefly, her face gripped with deep confusion.

Darjeeling took a deep breath and placed her hand on Kay's shoulder. "They are accidents. I know this has been tough on you, but don't break down now, your team needs you, I need you." Her tone returning back to her usual self.

Kay looked around at the destruction, everything seemed to slow down, the burning firefly, Naomi with bandages on her head and legs, Maho with blood still dripping down her face, Sarah with the white bandage already turning a dark red. She collapsed in a pile into the mud with tear's falling down her face cleaning away some of the mud.

"I'm so sorry. I'm so so sorry." Kay said dejectedly.

Darjeeling stroked her head combing Kay's curly blond hair with her fingers. "I know. That's not the Kay I know and love." Said like a mother to her child.

The medics soon arrived by helicopter, with the film drones still flying above the battle zone.

* * *

**D-DAY+3 time (15:07)**

The Tiger tank rolled down the hill, as Erika followed it keenly with her binoculars the tank came to a halt as Erika climbed out of her Tiger II, and stood at attention waiting for Maho to come out of the tank. The Tiger driver opened the hatch her eye's full of tears and ran to Erika and fell on her knees.

"I'm sorry Erika we tried to stop it but we couldn't do anything." The girl wept.

"What, what happened?" Erika growled at the sobbing girl.

"Kay… Kay has killed her." She muttered through her tears.

"No, no, no that's not possible." She said not believing a word as her tone became more sombre but her tone one still of strong disciple.

"SHE'S DEAD ERIKA!" The girl yelled back.

Erika stormed over to the girl and slapped her hard across the face. "Stop talking now, that's an order!" Erika snarled placing both her hands on the girl's lapel. "You and your crew will return to base. Now!"

"Yes, Erika." The girl ran back to the tank and climbed onto the tank. The engine thundered to life and drove past Erika and the other Kuromorimine tanks.

Erika stood there and slowly looked up at the hill, she breathed heavily, "When I get my hands-on you Kay, I will break every bone in your body under the track of my Tiger." She said through gritted teeth.

She spun and turned to her tank, climbed up and into the tank getting onto the radio pinching her throat microphone. "This is Erika, Maho has been incapacitated. I will be taking command of Kuromorimine forces. We will take Point 243, rout them and destroy them, finishing the battle here and now! We will do this in the name of the Nishizumi style."

The tanks rumbled forward, as the Saunders shells filled the sky as they fell all around them. The tanks pressed up the hill slowly but the makeshift wall held firm around the top of Winston.

* * *

**D-DAY+3 time (16:34)**

"Ladies I wish to talk to you about our predicament, my force we will not be able to take back Spitfire. That objective has been lost." Darjeeling said over the radio to Kay and Miho over a secured line.

"But what about the communication lines to Winston?" Miho questioned.

"That's why we need to make a unanimous decision." Darjeeling said as she looked at the map on her lap. "We can either give up the Winston and focus all of our resources into Belfast or the opposite as we can't hold both." She took a deep breath. "Or my force will hold the road to Winston for as long as possible, but will most likely expend a lot of our resources, so we might not have the manpower to hold Rorke's Drift for if the time comes.

"If I may." Kay said, as she too looked at the map as the battle for Winston still raged around her, her uniform still showing the scars of the melee she had only a couple hours ago. "If we lose Winston. Belfast will fall almost instantly. Miho has said she could take Belfast back tonight, that would delay them by another 24 hours. I think we should hold onto Winston as long as possible."

"Miho your opinion?" Darjeeling asked.

Miho looked to her map on the side of the turret, moving her finger along from one objective to the next. "If we counter-attack Belfast tonight, and reset the clock for another 24 hours, and then help hold the road with you Darjeeling. We could keep the lines of communication open for Winston. If Winston is taken all they have to do to put KV-2 and SU-152 up there and they will pummel Rorke's Drift. So, I concur with Kay. Winston must be held at all costs."

"I then agree I will place my forces along this 'road of life' to Winston, my force will hold back the attacking forces coming from the west and objective Spitfire. We will also start to dig in around Rorke's Drift. Thank you, ladies Miho good luck, for your attack tonight."

"Thank you, Darjeeling and the same to you."

"Kay could I have a private word please before you go."

"Yes sure." Her voice was a little lacklustre.

Darjeeling waited for the Miho to come off the line, the line buzzed as she changed to another frequency. "I have not told Miho what you did to her sister. Be thankful." She stated coldly.

"Thank you, Darjeeling." Kay grateful responded back.

"I have good news." Darjeeling said as her tone became more friendly. "Naomi is fine the doctors are saying she hit her head then the shell impacted knocking her out causing a small cut above her head, her legs were just 2nd degree from a leak from the hydraulics'."

"That's great news." Kay said relieved. "but what about Maho and English?"

"I don't know there's no news on them two unfortunately but in the tone they said it in my guess would be that their fine."

Kay's voice softened as she began to beg to Darjeeling over the radio. "Darjeeling please I need to know more than, that I can't go off presumptions anymore. I need stone hard facts please, I would never do something like this, I need to tell them how sorry I really am."

"As soon as I get something, I'll let you know." Darjeeling down the microphone down onto the turret basket of the tank, and sighed, putting her shaking hand on her head.

"You can't tell Kay the truth, can you Darjeeling?" Orange said, she looked at her crew, Orange was setting up the tea.

"The JSF gave me a message saying that Naomi is ok, but they didn't say anything about English and Maho which must mean its bad news. I can't tell her this, but a little a white lie won't hurt would it." Darjeeling said with a little tremble as her chest heaved from her deep calming breathes.

Orange nodded in agreement and passed over the teacup, Darjeeling grasped it with both hands as sipped the warm brew, closing her eyes for a moment. Then glanced down to Assam in the gunner's seat who was writing something down on what seemed to be a small diary. "Will these be treasured memoirs?" Darjeeling asked.

"No, no nothing." As she instantly closed the small diary.

"Secrets are made to be found out with time." Darjeeling said returning to her normal state.

"Ok, it's my poem notebook." Assam said embraced as her cheeks turned a little red.

"My subject is War and the pity of War. The Poetry is in the pity. Do you know who said that?" Darjeeling asked.

Assam shook her head. Darjeeling looked over to Orange. She had her mouth open but said nothing.

"I don't know Darjeeling." Orange said after a long moment of silence.

"The great poet Wilfred Owen, I've read many of his works, every time I read Dulce et Decorum est my heartstrings are always pulled. You never know you may join him with your words."

"Let's have a listen." Orange asked looking keenly at the book.

Assam opened her notebook and read aloud.

The tears scar your cheeks

the breath flees your chest

Exhausted, you fall away

At first, whether your side wins or loses,

Your body's response is the same;

Since the distance between victor and victim

Is often just the width of an atom.

Very soon, though, you'll feel the chasm.

One faction grieving as another feasts,

A carnival in the grounds of a funeral.

* * *

**No you didn't Maho is … no she can't be and Sarah as well... Kay how could she do this? I think there is going to consciences for those actions. (TBH one of the most fun chapters I've written so far, as I like when a character is put in a very tough situation and to see the reaction of what I think they would do.)**

**Review time: Sleipnir thanks for the reviews, great to hear you're enjoying it, I think you like this story : ) and I think you got your wish for deaths.**

**If you want a map to understand what the battlefield looks like, I've made a basic one, if you go to flickr and search username - Montysmypython it's there.**

**If you want to give me some feedback please leave a review its always appreciated.**


	7. Chapter 7: D-Day plus 3 Part III

**Chapter 7 D-Day +3 part III**

**D-DAY+3 time (17:02)**

"We have finally found scout three Katyusha. They were in the deep in the hedgerows." Klara said over the radio her voice somewhat distressed.

"Finally, they haven't been seen since the first day." Katyusha called back her tone as confident as ever.

"Yes, but their tank has been destroyed."

"Tell them to get back get another BT and begin scouting immediately!" She barked back at Klara.

"I don't think you understand Katyusha the tank has been wrecked both crew members are dead."

Katyusha paused for a second, she didn't know what to feel. "What how could this be?" She asked back rather shocked and sombrely, clutching her microphone.

"T…The commander... we found her outside of the tank, her legs lost and she's badly burnt, she... she's thrown out when the turret got blown off..." Klara began to sob, tears fall slowly down her cheek "the hole went through the driver, we- we couldn't find any remains of her, the smell... It's sickening, Katyusha. I…I..I couldn't stand this, it's horrible.

Katyusha listened to the pain Klara's heart must have been feeling, Katyusha stiffened her resolved. "We will not forget their loss, they will go down as brave heroes in Pravda history. Now, push out St Gloriana, they will pay for this with their lives. Darjeeling especially! I will be joining you 1800 hours to help lead this final assault." She stated firmly, her hand moulded into a solid fist.

"Yes, Katyusha we will take the road south of the hill cutting of the line of communications." Klara added back wiping her face with her sleeve. She took a moment to compose herself in the dark empty IS-3.

Klara got out of the IS-3 and looked to the charred, decapitated husk of the tank and then down to the maggot infested corpse of the girl in front of her. Her eyes drew up to another BT crew who had found the massacre. "You two have the body buried and put a cross there. I know she might not have been Christian or religious but it at it's all that markers out her remains for after this battle is over. Hopefully where ever she is, she is at peace." The BT crew walked to their tank and picked up a shovel and began to dig, the faces of everyone involved was were full of agony and torment.

* * *

**D-DAY+3 time (17:43)**

The white light burnt her eyes, as Sarah slowly opened them, see looked up at the blank ceiling tiles then slowly re-positioned her head over to the right to see a light coloured wooden door in front of that was a chair near her head with someone sitting on it, with black trousers see followed them up landing on a pure black battledress with golden buttons and a full red collar, it was defiantly the uniform a London United professional tankery team. Her eyes travelled up the body landing on his short black haired combover, contrasting with his white teeth smiling, his grey glassy eye's mixing the two shades together. He looked blissfully back at her drained green eyes, taking away some of the pain from the throbbing headache.

"James, why do you look so happy to see me in pain." She added to him with a smile coming around her face.

"I've had worse you know." He said, leaning back into the chair. "How the head sis."

"A little painful, how long have I been out? Where's dad?"

"He's having a waze, he's been on the coffee trying to keep awake after that night battle you had." He then looked at his watch. "You've been out, oh nearly 2 hours, not as good as me I was out for 6 and a half."

"I remember that, you fell down the stairs like an idiot when you were ten, hitting the wall and getting blood all over the new cream carpet. We were at the hospital for 2 weeks."

"Good times, I got to miss school, and get 8 stitches on the top of my head, as a kid that was a result." He added with a smile and a chuckle, rubbing the top of his head to feel the small scar.

She placed her hand on her temple with the white bandage on it, as it stung when she placed a little pressure on the wound. "What's happened to Maho?"

"I don't know. She's in this ward I think, but obviously I don't want to interrupt on a private matter. And before you ask Naomi as well, I don't know."

"But what happened after Kay hit me?"

"It was pretty nasty I think one of your crew members who tackled her, Kay then looked like she tried to strangle her." As he pulled out his phone and showed her a clip. As Kay punched Jasmine in the face, then forcing her on her back strangling her with both hands.

"Jasmine! Is she ok?" she responded full of shock and concern from her face to her voice, for her struggling crew member. Her eyes fixated on the small screen of James phone.

"She's fine just a bloody nose she's still on the battlefield, she made of stern stuff unlike you." As he punched her arm softly, before she could interject, he continued speaking. "Darjeeling got involved, there's no volume from the clip, but I've never seen her this angry before."

"I could only imagine what it must be like to get on her bad side."

"Yeah, I know right." Sarah added back placing her head on the pillow. Her memory clicked and a small smile moved onto her face. "I think Jasmine Pearl has a thing for you."

"Well, that's a shame. She's a pretty girl, and she did just save my sister. But I've already been taken."

"What?! Who?" Sarah responded back with disbelief and confusion overlaid across her face.

"None of your business who." He responded back instantly.

Sarah's smile widened "It's you and Darjeeling isn't it." As she giggled with cover her mouth with her hand.

"Yeah right!" James tone as ironic as ever. "Me and her have been very good friends for years now, if I was to try and ask her out, I would be friend zoned faster than you could say tea."

James cracked a small smile and leaned forward to Sarah as his volume of his voice dropped. "Anyway, she likes a refined man. Like a, Scott Perkins Earl of Arundel." As he spoke in an overly bombastic posh aristocratic voice. "But as you can tell…" As he gestured to himself reverting back to his typical voice. "I'm defiantly not her type." He leaned back in the wooden chair placing his arms behind his head. "I think we beat that Scott bloke? I think he had a Centurion or something, I can't remember fully." He looked over to Sarah who looked bored of his boasting, so he got back to the question at hand. "But I will say that you most definitely know her." He added with a wink.

"Her? I thought you was were gay. As you only hanging around boys and seem to enjoy their company." She said back teasingly.

James completely ignored her verbal jab at him, changing the subject. "Just because I'm like the world's best brother I've gotten your battledress all cleaned up. Next time please fall into some lavender flowers instead of mud please."

Her eyes widened "And the Beret!?" She immediately asked. "I can't lose that!"

"I've personally cleaned it up myself, all of it's at the hotel, once you're good to leave the hospital I'll give a back." He added proudly, waiting for a thank you to return his way.

Sarah just nodded back in appreciation. "For now, you need to be in a hospital gown like a mental patient." James said back in a sassy tone.

She looked over to her brother scowling at him, whilst raised a fist towards him. "Once I get out of here, I'm going to beat you so hard."

"Insanity is repeating the same mistakes and expecting different results, Sarah you know that right? Its good we're in the hospital they can check that for you." James remarked back confidently crossing his arms his evil smile ever present, as he raised one of his eyebrow.

The door opened, an older man in his late 40 early 50's walked in the spitting image of an older and shorter James wearing a white shirt and blue jeans. He had a black combover with a couple of grey hairs, with a shaved but rugged face and grey eyes that twinkled in the light.

"How's you dad?" Sarah asked as James leaned his arm over the back of the chair to face him.

"A lot better as your awake now." He said with a little crack in his rather tranquil voice.

"She been up for a bit now. Your bladder must be huge dad." James added with a smile.

"Airplane toilets son, I hate to use them, the flights from Japan to the UK has given me good practice." He added rather jokingly.

James stood and let his dad sit down next to Sarah, as he walked to the door. "Hay, English Breakfast you want any snacks?"

"If you could get me a choc choc bar that would be great and maybe some coke."

His eyes rolled as he tutted his teeth "A fine athlete's meal." He opened and closed the door behind him.

"You did good Sarah, that first battle on the hill at the start was very impressive and the night one as well. That was something else." Her father said delighted and proudness emanating in his voice as he smiled to his wounded daughter.

"Thanks, don't tell James that we got the Idea for the night battle from one of his suggestions. You know what he be like."

He lifted his little pinkie finger on his right-hand Sarah did the same as both fingers embraced each other as the shook them.

"You don't know how proud I am with you, helping to save someone from certain death. I think you're better than James at Tankery because of that. You have compassion; not to say he doesn't, but I don't think he would have done what you did." She leant over to him and kissed him on the side of the cheek and hugged him as he wrapped his arms around her. "You'll always be my special girl, remember that please. It kills me to see you in pain." As his voice softened.

"I will dad, I promise." She said back as a little tear rolled down her face.

* * *

**D-DAY+3 time (17:48)**

Near Rorke's drift, with a map was laid out on the back of Rosehips Crusaders engine deck, with a group of girls huddled around the map, inspecting it and discussing what to do.

"We need to keep the road open for Winston," Darjeeling's commanded, as her finger ran from their HQ to Winston. "Spitfire is lost we cannot take it back; they have dug in well, and it's sad to say but the Chindits have lost a lot of their effective tanks. So, we can't waste another attack on the flanks again. And going headlong into a strong defensive position, is not our way of doing things maybe Chi-Ha-Tan but not us." The small crowd of girls had a rather reserved chuckle.

"But sorry to say Darjeeling with the IS-3 on the loose, we can't stop it, and it will massacre the whole area." Rukuriri stated pointing to the road where its nearest Spitfire of about a mile, whilst gesturing to where the IS-3 could attack into the eastern side of Rorke's drift..

Darjeeling looked at Rukuriri and nodded in agreement. "We need a plan of attack on that IS-3, if anyone has any suggestions, please lay them out." Darjeeling added; all the commanders looked at one another hoping someone had something.

"I have a plan Darjeeling." Rosehip spoke up. "However, we will most likely lose the Cromwell and another tank."

Darjeeling looked at Rosehip surrounded but the other 3 commanders of the Chindits squad. "Let's hear it, Rosehip."

"The remaining Chindits will draw out the IS-3 here." She pointed to the road with thick bushes on the southern side with Rorke's drift only a mile away to the north. "The first tank will need to be heavy maybe a Churchill, it will move up and block the road pinning stopping the IS-3, the Cromwell will come behind slamming into the back of it and uses its 600 horsepower to keep it from reversing back. And this is when you Assam step in…" Rosehip looked up the Assam who looked to her with baited breath. "… Take the shot from where we are now, you know the weak spots of the IS-3 you should take it out, hopefully in one hit."

Everyone one looked over at Darjeeling. She was rubbing her forehead, taking calming a steady breath. "Do we have to use the Cromwell?, it's an important tank?!" She emphasised.

"I had a word with the Chindits they all agreed that its English's tank. And we cannot use it would be wrong of us to use it without her permission, with also another commander leading her crew…" All the Chindit commanders nodded in agreement. "… Also, it looks as if we will be on the defensive from now on so lightly armoured tanks might not be such a good idea." Rosehip added confidently.

Darjeeling smiled. "Have you got a name for this plan?"

"Yes, the Chindits and I have thought of the name we think it sounds pretty cool. Operation Scorpion. With the two claws to grab its pray but the killing blow comes from the stinger." Rosehip added with a smile, that planted the seed of confidence, but most importantly hope into Darjeeling's brain.

"Who will operate the Churchill?" As she moved off Rosehip and upon the face of the girls around her. "I will point out that due to our team running low on tanks they will most likely will be out of the match, if knocked out. Do we have any volunteers?" Darjeeling said with a little shame and regret in her tone. The mood was sombre, the only noise was the wind whistling over the cold metal of the tanks. Darjeeling's eyes wondered around the group of girls. "Lady grey you will be in command of the Churchill road block."

"Yes, Darjeeling." Lady grey responded back her tone firmly but disappointment was not hard to miss, with her face covered in her long shining midnight-black hair, as she slowly dropped her head to the ground.

Darjeeling looked around at her commanders one last time. "Everyone you are dismissed! Lady Grey a word please."

All the commanders dispersed walking off to their tanks and crews, as Orange Pekoe and Assam remained with their commander.

"Orange, Assam. Can you two tend to the tank make sure everything work I want the engine to rumble like lions' heart and the gun to fire as straight as a dart." Darjeeling added, her calm tone exuberating confident into her gunner and loader.

"Yes Darjeeling." Came the prompt response, as both hastily made their way behind Darjeeling towards their vehicle.

Lady Grey was still standing in the same spot, with the wind slightly blowing her hair., Darjeeling walked over to Lady Grey, placing her hand on Lady Greys shoulder. "Please remember I didn't pick you because of what happened to Masala, its…" Darjeeling breathed in heavily her attitude changed one of concern. "…It's just that this match has gotten out of hand students have died and I need to keep you safe." Darjeeling parted Lady Greys dark hair, placing it over her ears, to revel the hidden girl beneath, her light pale skin without a blemish insight covered a striking exquisite thin face with prefect facial features. Darjeeling looked deep into the oaked brown irises of Lady Grey, as the blue and brown eyes danced with each other, Darjeeling then smiled.

"But Darjeeling they were accidents and I need to fight for the team, for St Gloriana and for you." She pleaded with pure unfiltered emotion. "It my last year I need to prove myse…." Darjeeling raised her hand to stop her talking.

"You never have to prove nothing to me, you are an exceptional commander, with immeasurable amount of empathy and compassion for others. When James said to me, he had a girlfriend or as he put it. 'Won favour of a fine young lady.' I couldn't really believe him, he is too much of a joker, the boy who would cry wolf, as some would say. But I knew he was telling the truth, when he said your name Lady Grey. The beautiful princess and the knight in shining armour." She smiled at lady grey and her body relaxed.

"We just clicked Darjeeling it's a long story, but we ended up falling for each other when he came over for the 63rd tournament." Lady Grey embarrassingly said back her pale skin blushing a soft pink rose to her cheeks.

"One day, I wish to find love like that, but who knows what the future will bring." Darjeeling tone noticeably changed to extremely serious. "If you love James as much as you say you do, please for his sake. Once you're out stay out, I can't bare to see you and him hurt." Darjeeling grabbed both of her hands and squeezed them tightly. "Please Lady Grey, I beg you."

"I will Darjeeling I promise. I will keep my crew safe and myself safe."

Darjeeling then hugged the unsuspecting Lady Grey, who was very bewildered by this. She had never seen Darjeeling's emotions like this, she was never so caring towards her commanders., But she must have all ways be this way deep down. She must of hid these expressive feelings with her elegant persona, not want her crews to know what affection she had for them. Darjeeling then whispered in her ear. "You would make a great mother." She spoke with deep passion in her voice.

"You are the grandmother, I am the mother, the crew are my children." Lady Grey responded back grasping hold of Darjeeling not wanting to let go as she savoured the moment.

* * *

**D-DAY+3 time (18:19)**

The sun slowly began to droop in the sky as oranges pierced the blue sky.

"TANKS APPROACHING. NORTH, FAST MOVERS!" Was the call on the radio.

"Rosehip." Klara muttered. "They are going to take the flanks and attack the rear again of the objective, prepare for that!" Klara spoke over the radio. "Tanks 2 and 5 follow me we will force them back." The IS-3 rumbled forward exposing itself out of the low ground. The Chindits fired 2 pounder and 6 pounder shells at the tanks as they closed the distance doing no damage. "Loader HE, fire when ready gunner." The gun came to life as the immense noise of the shell thundered out of the barrel, the Chindits moved just in time as the earth around them disintegrated all around them.

"Tanks are moving, they are escaping to the west on the road. We will press our advantage, this is our opening to cut the road in half. Katysha is watching remember." Klara commanded, the IS-3 moved with the two T-34 as cover following behind her. She opened her hatch "Ura!" She pointed forward to the main road in driving along it west in hot pursuit of the Chindits for at least a mile on the main road.

"Crusader has stopped in the road. HE again Fire." The shell missed, landing short as dust and smoke raised from the crater of the road. Klara heard a zipping sound, then looked behind her as a shell hit the T-34 around 30 meters behind her. Another shell slammed into the other escorting T-34, 20 meters behind the first knocked out T-34. "Ambush!" Klara screamed, she slid back in the turret closing the hatch.

"Driver full speed forward get us out of he..." Klara commanded, just as she finished her sentence the tank smashed into something, forcing everyone in the tank the fall forward. "Driver what the fuck are you doing!" She bellowed.

"A Churchill drove out in front of us Commander!"

"Driver full reverse, gunner shoot this tank." Klara order as a small ounce of fear was heard in her voice.

"Can't the gun barrel is too far forward, it goes past there tank, we can't hit them!" The gunner yelled back.

The crew was launched forward again. Klara looked in the vision blocks, as Cromwell span its tracks pinning the IS-3 to the Churchill.

* * *

"Jasmine fire the gun." Honeybush yelled, "I don't know how long the engine can hold." The 75mm bounced of the back of the well-rounded turret.

The IS-3 began to roll back using its heavy weight to push back the Cromwell, Honeybush pushed down the accelerator pedal down further as the smell of burning oil and metal started to enter the tank from the over stressed engine.

* * *

"Sabot loaded."

"You've got the Assam." Darjeeling spoke with full confidence in Assam. Assam pressed down the foot pedal. The gun cracked like a bullwhip as the shell zipped across the hitting the side of the engine deck with a well expertly placed shot. The white flag appeared as smoke came out of the engine of the IS-3.

"Great shot my dear. Like St. George, you slayed the dragon." Darjeeling said as she sipped her tea.

"The TOG II may be big, but the 17 Pounder does help to look over its short comings." Assam stated positively.

* * *

"Let's get out of here Honeybush!" Peppermint yelled, the engine coughed and spluttered, with a massive clunk, the plucky meteor engine died, the white flag appeared on the tank.

"We did our best English hopefully your proud of us." Jasmine said with disappointment but immensely full of pride as she patted the gun breach of the defeated Cromwell.

* * *

Lady Grey opened her hatch of the turret, of her Churchill Mk I, which had was instantly flagged with the impact with the IS-3. The IS-3 driver clambered out as thick black smoke enveloped the tank. She got out of her tank and jumped onto the front plate of the IS-3 helping out the driver who's uniform was slightly charred.

"What's happening?" Lady Grey asked urgently.

"Fire!" The driver said back as she jumped off and ran from the tank rolling on the grass floor to put out her smouldering clothes.

Lady Grey ran to the top of the tank as she heard the girls in the tank screaming bashing on the hatches, which were both jammed shut. She bashed the commanders hatch with her fist as she tried to dislodge the hatch she could feel the metal heating up with every blow. Something metallic clicked and the hatch was pushed open, with thick black smoke pouring out as Klara jumped out of the turret, with burn marks all over her, with the gunner following her out with the same result.

"Svetlana get out!" Klara shouted into the tank, only the sound of crackling fire was the response.

Lady Grey looked at Klara evidently in shock. _"The crew are your children you are the mother. The crew are your children,_ t_he crew are your children, keep them safe." _Repeated in her head, she pushed past Klara and instantly jumped into the burning tank.

"No! What she doing, tell her to get out of there now!" Darjeeling shouted full of rage and fear, to Orange on the radio as she watched the chaos unfold threw her binoculars.

Klara and her gunner jumped off the side, the heat was getting intense, she looked up as the St Gloriana student upper body out of the hatch, she looked to be trying to lift something out, as she did so the a loud roar came from the hatches of the tank the flame spew out as it gripped her body, the dark red of her coat and of the fire perfectly matched, the silhouette figure of Lady Grey fell back into the burning tank.

"Everyone get back!" Klara yelled. The Cromwell, Churchill and the rest of the IS-3 crews all retreated back, as the fire took apart the whole tank, with all the watching is disbelief in what just happened.

"No, Lady Grey, please your alive just get out." Darjeeling implored; her eyes transfixed on the hatch watching for any sign of life, as the seconds, then turned to minutes. The answer was now certain. "Tell the Cromwell and Churchill crews that they are to go immediately to the barracks and insure they say nothing, absolutely nothing about this incident!" She commanded resolutely to Orange Pekoe. She looked at the her two trusty friends reflecting on her actions, she had sent Lady Grey, a beautiful, compassionate, young women to her death. Her mood changed to one of emotionlessness. "I'm sorry ladies but I have to go." Darjeeling opened up the hatch and climbed out.

"Darjeeling please." Orange pleaded with tears in her eyes.

Assam put her hand on Orange's shoulder and shook her head. "She needs some space Orange."

Darjeeling finally jumped off the tank, and slowly stumbled off towards the HQ, her arms crossed.

* * *

The turmoil reflected off the glass of the binoculars, as the girl slowly paced them down, unmasking her pain swept eye's, with the binoculars swinging on her chest with the strap holding the heavy burden they had brought.

"All tanks on the airfield objective are to cease combat at once there will be no more fighting here today." She commanded with her voice vibrating in an unheard-of manner towards her crews.

"_How could this happen? Why did this happen? My lost crew member and that brave St Gloriana student… gone it such a horrific way." _She thought to herself, with her head falling into her hands with her body visibly shaking. _"But we are Pravda will do not crumble we grow stronger for pain, like a phoenix for the ashes. And I Katyusha will make sure this victory will not ever be forgotten."_

She finally collected herself with the light breeze, with the smell of burning on the air. She slid back into the T-34 and tuned the dial of the radio.

"Nonna any tweets from our little birds?" Katyusha spoke as if nothing had happened.

"Yes, I have word that St Gloriana will not be taking back the airfield objective, and that Miho is planning a counter attack tonight. All crews have been told only to fire if an enemy is spotted and not to move out of 'Belfast'. They will fall into our trap and be destroyed." Nonna responded as blunt as a hammer crashing into a nail.

Katyusha face brightened. "Good finish them off and this battle is as good as over."

She lifted herself onto the top of the turret looking at her forces gaining more strength at the airfield objective. She turned her head towards the intense confrontation on the hill. "Two down only one stubborn one to go." She muttered bitterly to herself.

* * *

**D-DAY+3 time (20:02)**

The sun slowly lowered as Ooarai prepared for the counter attack on Belfast. "Erwin you're with me we will scout the outskirts of the town one last time before we go." Miho said over the radio.

"Will do Miho." Came the response.

"Miho its dangerous out there, are you sure? I'll go instead, like the last time against Pravda." Yukari asked concerned.

"Sadly, I need to see this with my own eyes, as you know the real Rommel would lead from the front." As she smiled at Yukari as she smiled back with the history reference. "But you can be commander of the tank ok, my only rule is we need to remain hidden at all costs."

Yukari nodded, as Miho climbed out of the tank, and began crouching on the floor remaining as low as possible, Erwin joined her a couple of moments later both with binoculars around their necks. They moved closer and closer to the edge of the small forest they began to crawl along the floor, moving towards a thick bush, they reached the bush and laid out behind it.

"What do you see Erwin?" drawing up her binoculars.

"At our 10 o'clock is a T-34-85, with two 76's." Erwin said scanning with her binoculars. "You?"

"SU-100's about two at the 2 o'clock by the main road." Miho responded.

Miho looked over to the T-34's. "They've got some rubble to use as cover."

"What's that?" Erwin whispered agitated.

"What? What wrong?"

The T-34's turrets began to turn towards them.

"Shit! The light must have reflected off out bino's."

"Quick get out of here!" Miho then shouted, lifting Erwin as they sprinted back to the tanks 100 meters behind them, "Move back." She shouted to her Panzer IV moving her arms frantically to get them to retreat, the engine turned on with smoke coming out of the engine exhaust as the tank creeped back.

Erwin took a quick glance behind her "MIHO GET DOWN!"

Miho hit the deck as the crimson glare shrieked over her head, she looked up as the shell hit the Panzer IV dead on the lower plate, the tank's white flag appeared.

Instantaneously came the explosion as fire erupted from the inside of the tank with the pressure of the fire forcing open the side hatches. Miho ran as fast as her legs would carry her to the bone chilling screaming sounds of her friends burning alive from the inside of the tank, hoping and praying someone would get out of the inferno. Something pushed her to the ground face first into the ground, she turned over to see Erwin, placing her hands on her shoulders.

"No, Miho you can't." Erwin pleaded.

"GET OFF ME ERWIN!" She screamed out of agony, as she wriggled trying to break Erwin strong grasp, as Erwin held tighter and tighter digging her nails into her skin through her uniform.

"We can't lose you as well!" As she shook Miho begging her, from the way she spoke to her face it all had the same message. 'Don't go Miho.'

"PLEASE ERWIN THEY ARE MY FRIENDS MY LIFE THEIR DYING IN THERE!"

A large deafening detonation came from the inside of the tank as fireball shot 10 metres into the air, setting alight the tree canopy above the burning tank. Miho's ears rang as the concussion of the blast rattled her whole insides. She looked up at Erwin, still grasping hold of her. She was saying something but was heavily muted by the heavy ringing noise, slowly her hearing came back as Erwin whaled.

"Miho I'm sorry but their gone, no one could survive that!" Erwin tears feel down her cheek onto the floor as she loosened her grip.

Miho turned her body to look at the flaming carcass of the Panzer IV, the only sound was the of the flames licking the metal at it popped and crackled. Miho sat on her knees the intense heat hitting her body. The memories they all shared together, though the best and worst of times they were there, the future adventures they would have had all gone in an instant. Her body's emotions lost control as she wept at the top of her lungs as her soul screamed along with her. Erwin sat next to her embracing her as she adding her tears to the pool of pain and suffering.

The sun finally rested, as the darkness entered the sky. The only light came from the burning wreck in the murkiness of the forest, the tree stood at attention as shadows fell behind them.

* * *

**D-DAY+3 time (20:44)**

The cramped office was cluttered and disorganised, the white globe hung high in the star lights of the heavens, a small ray of moonlight lit up the lone girl, as the weak tungsten blub tried in vain to light the room with its orange glow with the light sound of it buzzing. Darjeeling was sitting with a table in front of her with a large radio on top with maps around her with marks of known enemy positions and allied defences, with a hot cup of tea steaming on top of one corner of the map, atop of the map was a file opened with a picture of a girl with long black hair, Darjeeling just stared blankly at the photo as her heart sank to the lowest depths of pain and grief. The door knocked.

Darjeeling placed the photo back into the file and hid it under the map, as she looked up to the door. "Who is it?" Darjeeling asked.

"It's Assam but Miho wishes to speak to you in private."

She really didn't want to speak to anyone, she just wanted to be alone, but she was the overall commander so she must do it for the team. "That's fine come in."

Miho walked in mud all over her Sensha-Dō uniform, her face red raw.

"Please, please sit." Darjeeling spoke sounding concerned as she moved her chair around the table. "Tea?"

Miho shook her head as it looked to the floor.

Darjeeling sat on her knees looking up into her face.

"What can I help you with?" Darjeeling spoke softly.

"You… you…. can't help Darjeeling." Miho spoke back as a nervous wreck as her hands shook violently.

Darjeeling know that something disturbing must of happened to Miho. "There must be something, anything?"

"No there isn't, I'm sorry."

"What happened?" As she looked deeply into Miho grieved covered face.

"We were in the forest north…north of Bel…Belfast I was scouting, a … a shell hit my tank… Their all dead." As she bursts into tears.

Darjeeling ran over to the side and wrapped a blanket over her and knelt next to her.

"Miho, I'm so sorry." Darjeeling said back full of empathy rubbing her arms by her side.

"I just want them back Darjeeling!... It should have been me not them." As she buried her head on top of her legs.

"You can't say something like that Miho." She tried to reason with Miho.

"I couldn't save my friends, the ones I loved the most … What sort of a person am I?" As she cried relentlessly, she was breathing so heavily, it sounded like she was drowning on her own tears.

"Miho you are loved and cherished by everyone, to see you in this state is breaking my heart." As she stood kissing the top of her head. She walked over to the radio; she spun the dial wheel finding the emergency frequency.

"_I can't tell her about what happened to Maho, not at this time not after what she has just been through."_ Darjeeling thought to herself.

"This is Darjeeling commander of St Gloriana's Girls College and head commander of team one. I wish for Miho Nishizumi head of Ooarai Girls Academy will be retiring from the tournament."

"No, no." Miho sniffed wiping her tears away. "I want to fight!"

Darjeeling looked at the vulnerable Miho, her last words flashing back images of the last conversation she had with Lady Grey, bring back image of her last smile she had one her face and the final embrace they had together. "Miho I'm sorry but this is the end of the road, you fought extremely bravely but you can't fight on."

"But."

Darjeeling walked over to her and knelt in front of her. "If this was to happen in reverse and I was too loose Assam and Orange Pekoe, would you let me fight on?" As she stared into the sore brown eyes of Miho.

"No, I wouldn't." Miho said back still in an emotion wreck.

"Thank you, Miho, I would never want to let you go, but if you love something you have to let it go."

Miho closed her eyes and nodded.

"Darjeeling can you confirm you wish to withdraw Miho Nishizumi from the battlefield." A calm male voice responded back on the radio over the loud speakers.

"Yes."

"That is understood, a helicopter will be sent to your HQ as soon as possible."

"Thank you." As she put down the microphone onto the table, she looked over to the still seated Miho. "Please, get some hot food at the canteen, rest."

Miho stood as the blanket fell to the floor and bowed towards Darjeeling. "Thank you, Darjeeling." She turned and opened the door and closed it.

Darjeeling sighed, closing her eyes for a couple of moments, she looked at the map with the file underneath making a small budge on the flat map above. The whole room seemed to melt away as her eyesight blurred as the liquid pour out her tear ducts, she walked to the table, her hand sliding along the table till she felt a familiar object, she lifting the microphone clutched to her quivering hand.

"My friend, you would not tell with such high zest

To children ardent for some desperate glory,

The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est." She muttered to herself.

She took a deep breath and pressed the button down on the microphone.

"This is Darjeeling commander of St Gloriana's Girls College and head commander of team one I wish to speak with Shichiro Kodama now!" She commanded.

"Unfortunately, he has been taken ill, I'm Shoji Nakamaro vice head of the JSF board, how may I help?" The calm male returned back.

"I wish for my team to withdraw from the battle due to safety reasons. One of my crew members is dead and now the Miho's crew is dead."

The radio went quiet for a couple of moments, a sharp sound static kicked in proceeded by a low buzzing.

"Oh, Darjeeling sadly that is not possible." He responded back in a sinister tone.

"What do you mean by this?" she questioned with a hint of fear in her voice.

"You will continue this match until it is over." He spoke threateningly.

"No, I refuse." She retorted back.

"Ok then the lives of thousands of dead men, women and children will be on your conscience for the rest of your life."

"What?"

"If you refuse our group has placed explosives onto your carrier ship missy and if you don't get back into your tanks and fight, we will see how fast a ship can sink to a watery grave."

Darjeeling began to panic as she tried to formulate words. "What is this… this… this isn't the JSF."

"No, we are its saviour, now get back in the fucking tank and fight to the end. If you mention anything to anyone the ships go down."

The radio whinnied and buzzed, then the room filled with an eerie silence. Darjeeling looked at the set, she began to breathe faster and faster, sweat pouring over her forehead, unsure of anything her emotions were a wreck was it fake, real, no it could be, she ran to the door pulling it wide open leaving the shack and vomited all over the floor.

Orange pekoe and Assam ran over to their commander from there TOG.

"Are you ok Darjeeling?" Assam asked.

"Yes, fine just a little light headed. Did you hear the emergency call?" As she wiped her face with her sleeve.

"No why? All we heard was a buzzing sound." Assam responded confused.

"That strange, an emergency call can be heard by everyone." Orange Pekoe said. "What did you contact them about?"

"I wanted to know how English and Maho are doing."

"How are they then?" Orange asked her face a little sceptical.

"Yep all good." Darjeeling said with a smile.

"Are you ok Darjeeling?" Assam asked looking at Darjeeling's face.

"Yes, yes all is fine. Please get back to the tank get it prepared for tomorrow." Darjeeling responded nodding.

A girl screamed in the distance. Darjeeling entourage turned and ran to the sound of the screams. They ran over Rosehip was laying on the floor. "My ankle!" She shouted as paper were strewn everywhere.

"Assam get the kit; Orange get the medics here." The two girls ran back to the TOG. "Oh, Rosehip it had to be you didn't it." Darjeeling said in a light hearted mocking tone, wiping a tear rolling tear of her face.

"I'm sorry Miss Darjeeling I was running back to my tank and my foot landed in a pothole. My report is here." She tried desperately tried to gather as many papers as she could, where Rosehip laying down on the floor around her.

"Rosehip don't worry I'll do, it's ok." Darjeeling smiled to her, even going through pain Rosehip was enduring her enthusiasm shone through. "At least you're not seriously hurt."

Once they bandaged her ankle the helicopter arrived, Rosehip was placed on a stretcher and carted off and the helicopter rose above them, flying into the night as the stars sparkled.

"Ok girls back to the tanks we need to win this battle." Darjeeling commanded walking back to the Tog, with her heart and head lost knowing that she will be sending more young girls to their deaths.

* * *

**You killed anglerfish you bastard and Lady Grey!  
And the JSF are behind it … what is happening?! Well will see in the coming chapters.**

**Review time, Thanks ****Sleipnir for pointing that out I wish there names where a little different instead of one single letter as I do sometimes miss it whilst skimming over the final product, and I think your concerns are now answered for a previous review about deaths Also at the moment of writing we have nearly 1000 views. Dark-Silver96 yeah wars is hell and hopefully this proves it. **

**If you want a map to understand what the battlefield looks like, I've made a basic one, if you go to flickr and search username - Montysmypython it's there.**

**If you want to give me some feedback please leave a review its always appreciated. **


	8. Chapter 8 D-Day plus 4

**Chapter 8 D-DAY + 4**

"_I'll go and scout for you." Yukari said climbing out of the side hatch closing it behind her._

_Miho snapped to attention as she stood on the commander's seat looking down to Yukari. "Please be careful." Miho responded lovingly back, sitting onto her pillow covered commander's seat. _

_Erwin and Yukari meet up by the tank and started making their way to the edge of the forest. _

"_What do you think they'll have in Belfast?" Hana asked looking to Miho for guidance. _

"_Oh the normal, T-34's maybe some others." Mako said back in her low energy tone, reading a manual. _

"_Why do you have that?" Saori pointed to the manual on the Sherman Firefly. _

"_Erwin said Naomi has got one spare for us. Just in case we lose our Panzer IV." Mako lips forming something similar to a smile but gave up halfway and her face returned to the manual. _

"_Don't tell Yukari, she will go all fangirl again." Hana said with a grin forming across her face. _

"_I wonder how many messages I've got." Saori pondered her eyes looking aimlessly at the inside of the tank as she daydreamed about her future boyfriend or maybe husband. Going completely off-topic as per usual._

"_Are you really on this again?!" Mako sighed dropping her manual and looked over to Saori. _

"_Yes. I'm guessing at least 100 so far? Possibly more."_

"_Of course." Mako said back picking up her manual rolling her eyes._

_Miho looked out of her cupola to see the two girls crawling to the edge of the forest._

"_Ok they are there." Miho said to the crew, relaxing a little as she sat back down in the commander's seat._

_Hana put her hand on Miho's hand. "Everything is ok Miho." As Miho squeezed it back, she smiled back with a nod. "You would never let us down … Would you!" Her voice dramatically changed into an angry snarl, her face filled with wrath as her nails dug deep into Miho's hand._

"_What? Hana stop that hurts, your scaring me." Miho pleaded, she heard shouting and instantly looked out of the cupola, Yukari and Erwin who were sprinting back towards them. _

"_Get back!" Yukari shouted waving her hands. Miho closed the hatch blotting it shut._

"_Mako reverse get of out of here!" Miho ordered as fear consumed her voice._

"_You did this to us!" Saori snapped at Miho over the intercom._

_The engine coughed to life revving at the highest levels as the tank moved back. Miho through the vision blocks could see Yukari and Erwin running closer towards them only 10 meters away. As an orange ball came charging at them from behind. _

"_Why Miho? Why did you leave your friends?" Mako screeched back through the headset._

"_Get down!" Miho yelled inside of the tank hoping Yukari and Rommel could hear her yells from inside the tank. Erwin looked behind her and shouted something both the girls hit the floor. As the shell charged towards the Panzer IV "Brace!" The shell hit the lower plate. _

_Sparks, shell splinters and flames engulfed the tank, Miho had cut's everywhere from her face to her legs but the worst was an intense pain in her stomach, she looked down a white-hot metal long shard had buried its self into her stomach, she placed her hand to cover the wound burning her hand as the metal cooked her insides. _

"_HANA." She put her spare hand on her shoulder who was slumped forward in the gunner's seat, she drew her back to see blood pooling down her face as a chunk of her skull was missing, with a large metal shard lodged in her throat as blood spewing out her mouth and throat. _

"_You… killed…. us." Hana gargled as she coughed the warm red fluid from her mouth sprayed all over Miho face and body. Miho stunned let go for her friend slumping back over the gun sights, then collapsing to the turret basket. _

"_MAKO … SAORI" She screamed at her loudest above the roar of the flames, now invading base of the tank. The fire enveloping the forward compartment, no response came as Miho looked ahead of her to see the fire consumed the blackened shapes of their bodies crumpled in their seats in front of her. _

"_I'm sorry, I did this!" Miho shrieked with all the air in her lungs, to the burning corpse of her friends._

_The flames begin to lick Miho's legs and hand she had to get out, she put both charred hands onto the scorching metal handles to pull herself out of the commanders' hatch, her skin pilled off exposing the bones underneath, as she fell back into the steel caldron, landing onto the burning turret basket meshed metal below._

_Her eyes burned the blood boiling and bubbled on her skin, she looked up at the shells on the turret wall they throbbed like a heart, a crack appeared on the brass casing as an incredible ball of flame came towards her with her final action, she screamed as the flames of death galloped towards her._

* * *

**D-DAY + 4 Time 04:26**

The cold sweat poured down her face as she awoke to look around the dark room now bolt upright her bed. The silhouette of Boko teddy bears all around on shelves with what seemed to be an Ooarai Sensha-Dō uniform on a hanger. She pushed herself put leaning her back against the headboard, she placed her dripping wet sweat covered hand on her stomach where the metal shard impacted. There was nothing there only her pyjamas, no holes, no wound and no pain.

"Are you ok?" came a familiar voice, as the bed lamp filled the small room with light, her slowly eyes adjusted to the new abundance of light.

"Mum?"

"Yes." Shiho responded sitting in a chair next to her bed. With the face of a loving parent looking back to her.

They embraced and held to each other not letting go.

"I love you Miho, I always will." She said in Miho's ear.

"I do too mum." As they slowly rocked backwards and forwards. They finally let go of each other and looked tenderly at each other something the pair had not done in a long time.

Shiho half cover in darkness and the other absorbed but the lamps glow beholding her youngest daughters weary face. "Once I heard that your tank was hit, I couldn't bear it, with one of you in the hospital already."

"What?" Miho exclaimed. "Is Maho ok?"

Shiho shock her head. "She took a nasty blow from Kay on the third day atop of the hill."

"But how, what?"

Shiho pushed up the covers. "I need you to rest, we will go and see her tomorrow and I'll explain there." She turned off the lamp, allowing the darkness to take back its place.

* * *

**D-DAY + 4 Time (09:12)**

Both Miho and Shiho walked into the ward for head injuries, walking past many rooms on this long pure white and sanitized corridor, some doors were closed others were open as Miho glanced into a few of the open rooms with doctors inside with patents, a couple empty with the bed neatly laid out for the next victim of a head injury, all the rooms where the same, painted white with a bed in the middle with curtains with a desk to the side and chairs along the side. They walked past one with, one older man and a younger man sitting next to a girl with a large white bandage around her head, they looked familiar but waved it on, they reached the end of the ward to a closed door.

They both entered, Maho was there laying on the bed unmoving, cables and tubes were everywhere with a chair next to her head with another in the corner of the room, all that could be heard was the beep of the heart monitor and the sound of the light breathing for Maho for the oxygen tube feeding her air into her nostrils.

"This can't be." Miho said mouth open in disbelief.

Shiho held her hand daughters and squeezing it as she told her the news on her condition. "The doctors don't know if she will wake up from this."

Miho sat in the chair and held the motionless war-torn hand of Maho.

"Maho it's me Miho I know you can't hear me but, please wake up." Miho pleaded kissing her hand hoping it would wake her up, losing her crew and now her sister in this state she didn't know what to do.

"I wish it was so simple Miho." Shiho said wrapping her hands around Miho and crouched next to her looking up at her.

"But how could Kay do this? She would never." Miho could feel her emotions get away from her as her voice begins to swell with the tears begin to collect in her eyes.

"She just flipped, the stress she must have been under must have been incredible and it must have gotten to her."

"But you can't do this." Miho said with a little anger in her voice. "And that Darjeeling and Kay said nothing to me."

"She must have tried to protect you from it, what would have happened to the team if she told you? You would have done anything to get your hands-on Kay." Shiho responded trying to placate her, rubbing her back to soothe her.

Miho stopped, her mind cleared as rationality prevailed. "I guess your right mother. Darjeeling has a lot on her hands; she shouldn't have ever been put in a situation like this it's horrid." As Miho relaxed as she looked into Maho bruised face.

"There is a girl down the hallway, she saved Maho. Please go and thank her." Shiho calmly spoke towards her standing up.

"Yes mother." She stood up and walked to the door leave Shiho and Maho alone. She walked down the ward knocking on every door to kind this mysterious savour.

"So, the tactic was that Pravda use is just pure strength. They will take this road and there's nothing St Gloriana can do to stop it." James said to Sarah lying in bed as they watched the match on a TV from across the room with the tanks battling in the heavy rain.

"But hopefully Pravda is running low on tanks now, this should surely slow them down." Sarah said back a little optimistically.

"But if the hill holds it won't matter if Pravda takes the road near the hill." Their father added.

He looked at his father's with a face full of complete exasperation, questioning if his own dad would say something so stupid. "Dad, it kind of does. How can they resupply the hill if they're surrounded? What are they going to do fire insults at the Kuro and Pravda tanks?" James spoke back sarcastically.

"Sorry to bother you, but are you here from the Sensha-Dō match." Miho's voice said as she opened the door, they all looked over. "I know you." Miho pointed to the young man. "Your James Alexander, right? You came to see us before the final against Kuromorimine." As her memory of James flooded back to her.

"Yes, I am, but sadly I'm not the girl you seek. As my feminine looks have sadly gone, time has not been kind to me." He said back with a cheeky grin across his face, with Miho giggling at that statement.

"Please ignore him. He is my brother." Sarah added, as she leant forward moving so she was in Miho's eyesight.

"English Breakfast?" As Miho walked into the room looking at Sarah's face.

"Yes, that's me. And I'm so sorry what happened to your crew." She added with deep sympathy covered every word.

"Are you ok, did Kay hurt you?" Miho asked as she ignored the last part of her sentence she did it, not wishing to fall apart in front of them.

"I'm fine just a hard hit to the head." She said pointing to the white bandage.

Miho walked up to Sarah bed. "For helping to save my sister I'm unbelievably grateful. You don't know how much she means to me. You did something that I would never expect anyone to do for her." As she bowed to her. "If there is anything, you want or need please ask I'll make sure it's done."

"Thank you, that means a lot Miho, but Kay. I had never seen her so angry. She was saying that these were not accidents and your sister and most likely Katyusha had something to do with it. Which I can't believe which is my I tried to stop her." Sarah responded back her face in sync with her tone one of confused and resolve.

"But something is wrong on that battlefield." Miho said looking at the screen. "Did Ooarai counterattack last night?" She asked looking towards James knowing he would give her a to the point answer.

"Um… yes they did Miho but it's didn't go well." James answered back in a quite subjugated tone. "Only the Tiger (P) and Hetzer made it out in one piece. Pravda had the town on lockdown and it was a blood bath. I'm sorry to say this but they look lost without you."

"I appreciate your honesty James. They will fight on this is Ooarai style. To never to give up no matter the odds."

* * *

**D-DAY + 4 Time (11:46)**

**"This is the JSF the objective the town has been taken. Only the objective the hill is left once taken for 6 hours Team Two to can proceed to the objective HQ. Over"**

* * *

**D-DAY + 4 Time (14:14)**

The Maus tank moved past the knocked-out wrecks of the Kuromorimine tanks, the tank slowly began traversing up the hill with all the other Kuromorimine tanks shooting covering fire, at the beleaguered Sherman's defenders on the hill.

"All tanks fire HE into the wall ahead of the Maus, cause a breach." Erika yelled hysterically on the radio at her force. All the tanks fired onto the wall the overwhelming power of all the high explosive shell cracked the defensive line. The Maus fired its mighty 128mm gun blowing a hole in the fortification.

"All tanks move! Get to the top of the hill take out every single Saunders tank!" Erika barked; her Tiger II moved ahead of everyone else as it traversed the hill.

The Maus slowly came to a stop, it's white flag waving with the engine started to smoke, the incline of the hill had killed its overstressed engine and transmission. Erika's Tiger took the lead, and reached the lip of the hill, crashing through the small opening in the wall, with earth and bricks falling off to the wayside. The Sherman tanks turned to face this new threat.

"Gunner targets close range, 8, 1,3 and 4 o'clock take them out! Loader rapid fire AP. Driver hold position no need for any meal time angling." Erika commanded in her metal machine.

The turret swung as the 88mm gun fired the flames licked the end of the barrel, the shell smashed into the Sherman at 8 O'clock hitting it on the upper plate and knocking out with ease. The gun moved to its next target with each result being the same, as shells bounced off the thick sloped hide of the Tiger's hull. Behind came reinforcements of Kuromorimine with a Panther the rest being late war Panzer IV's. The battle began to raged no side giving the other an inch, as tank after tank was knocked out indiscreetly. With Saunders not being able to receive reinforcements the number turned towards Kuromorimine favour. But Saunders held on bitterly, no tank retreated and stood fast holding it ground, as if it was another recitation of the Alamo. With all of the Sherman's finally falling victim to the onslaught, up to 30 tanks were knocked out on both sides, in only a matter of minutes, the short and brutal battle was over Kuromorimine had taken the hill objective, with the guns falling silent on the hill for the first time in days.

"Now. Find me Kay find her now!" Erika yelled at her crew with spit flying out of her mouth as her crew disembarked with Erika following suit. The rain fell all around her, as her crew ran out looking for Kay's most Sherman tank likely fallen tank, Erika knew she wouldn't leave her comrades and be a role model to them.

They opened all the hatches of the fallen tanks. Until "She's here." Shouted the loader towards Erika a couple of meters away from the obliterated church with 3 Panzer IV's surrounding Kay's Sherman but all being knocked out.

"She must have fought hard." Erika muttered to herself. "She's going to have to fight hard again."

Erika's loader looked down at Kay in the commander's seat. "Kay your presence has been requested by Erika, commander of Kuromorimine."

"OK, I will go but you promise me my crews will be safe." She begged to the Kuromorimine student looking down at her with the rain falling into the open hatch.

"I can't promise anything." She answered back with a voice that brought shivers down Kay's spine. The girl shoved her hand down into the turret, pulling Kay out by her long blond curling hair, then throwing her off the tank and to the copious earth slush. She looked up to see the black-uniformed Erika towering above her glaring at her beaten foe.

"Oh, how the tides have turned Kay!" she bellowed, clicking her knuckles.

Kay's face was full of remorse she looked up and Erika, streams of tears flooding down her face with the rain, her head then dropped her eyes looking to the copious mud-spattered terrain, she could not bear seeing the face of Erika as it resembled something similar to Maho's bringing back those memories of thing's she should have never done. "For what I did to Maho. I'm so sorry." Kay begged, her knees sinking lower and lower into the mud, with every passing second.

"Shut it Kay!" Erika snapped back she walked over to her and took a large chunk of Kays' hair pulling her it back forcing her to look at Erika wrathful exterior with the rain drenching drowning Kays' eyes.

"Do you know the pain you caused to me Kay!" She screamed at her and spit landed Kays face.

"Yes, and I'm sorry!" Kay wailed back. "I can't bring her back but if I could I would Erika. I'm so sorry!" She said looking back to Erika's rage covered eye's feeling the same fear what Maho must have felt when the roles were reversed.

"Unlike you I have sympathy, so I won't kill you." Erika let go of Kay's hair and her hand formed in a fist which smashed into the side of Kay's cheek. "But you won't get off lightly either."

She threw another right hook into the cheek. "Every girl here at Kuromorimine wants to see you burned alive at the stake for what you did to Maho, so consider this a mercy." She threatened as blood dribbled out of Kay split lip. Kay knew she should fight back, but in her heart she couldn't she knew she this is what deserved. This was to be the punishment that she would have to accept for her actions.

Erika hit Kay once more and Kay's head dropped to the ground again, as she cried, with the tears and blood falling to the ground as she howled still remaining kneeling in the mud not moving a muscle. Erika looked at her crew and nodded. "Kay you have the choice either you quit Sensha-Dō forever for what you did, and we let you go now, so you can finish your final battle."

"And the other?" Kay questioned through her swollen throat.

"Or we make you."

"I can't Erika you know that." Kay said in disbelief as her bloodied face turned looking up towards Erika.

Erika snapped her fingers the girls around her, bound her hands with rope.

"What are you doing?!" Kay screamed as she panicked as they forced face first into the thick mud.

"Ah here looks good." As Erika walked a couple of meters in front of Kay.

The girls dragged the kicking and screaming Kay over to a large shell hole, filled with dirty water half way up.

They dangled her head over the water.

"Kay don't make us do it. Give in now!" Erika yelled above her head.

"No never!" Kay said back defiantly.

Erika crouched next to Kay's head, stroking her contaminated blond hair with the brown muck inside every strand. "You sure are a fighter Kay. You should have joined Kuromorimine. You could have been a great commander, but now look at you. Here in the pouring rain, with your whole force destroyed and it's all your fault." Erika hissed towards her.

As they forced her head in the water, as she struggled, as bubbles rose to the top of the water, they lifted her head out a couple of moments later.

"Kay the water will only rise higher with this heavy rain, give up." Erika spoke back with a little empathy in her voice.

"No! Maho wouldn't give up!" Kay said defiantly panting heavily as she turned her head and look up at Erika, glaring down at her.

Erika lost her composure. "Lift her up now!" She screamed at the girls holding onto Kay.

Her crew complied, as Erika threw a powerful blow into her stomach, winding Kay as she coughed and spluttered. They threw her to the floor and Erika placed her boot on top of her head forcing Kay's head into the dirty liquid forcing deeper and deeper, as the bubbles began to become less and less frequent, as Erika growled through her teeth.

"Erika you are in big trouble now!" came a familiar voice. She released Kay from her grasp of her boot, Kay's head was lifted out of the water. Erika looked over behind her, it was Nonna with Katyusha on her shoulders, with a large amount of Pravda tanks joining her atop of the hill.

"Give me one good reason, why I shouldn't have you locked in a tank and throw into the river right now Erika!" Katyusha barked.

Erika looked over; stone-faced. "I …."

"Answer me now!" Katyusha yelled livid, with Nonna walking closer with every second.

"I don't Katyusha." She responded with no emotion to her voice.

"Maho is not dead Erika. Kay is as much as a victim as you are. Now you have a choice you can let Kay go and pour your heart out to her, or we see what 20 Pravda students can do to 4 helpless little children." Katyusha tapped Nonna on the head lightly and Nonna stopped, with Nonna's face being just as disgusted as Katyusha's.

"How do you know about Maho, how can I trust you that she's not dead." Erika yelled back trying to hold her tears back.

"My little birds told me, and they all sang the same song." Katyusha spoke with real empathy something of a rarity meaning to Erika it must be true.

Erika turned to her crew and she made a small nod with her head, they lifted Kay the still dripping wet from the water and blood rolling down her face, standing her up as she coughed out water from her lungs, they untied her hands.

Erika turned to Kay and hugged Kay as she cried.

"Maho is alive! My sorry Kay. I'm a monster… Forgive me... Please… Forgive me!" She whispered in her ear with every word extricating the guilt she felt.

Kay grasped her back and cried along with her as they both fell to their knees, with the rain mixing with the tears.

* * *

**D-DAY + 4 Time (21:38)**

"Rosehip!" Sarah shouted excitedly still lying in bed, Rosehip hobbled over on crutches with her ankle casted. James stood out of his chair and offered his seat to her but she continued towards Sarah and gave her a big squeezing hug. "What happened to you?" Sarah whispered into her ear.

"I sprained or broke my ankle doctors don't know yet, running over to my tank in the HQ." As she looked at the TV.

Sarah looked at Rosehip face, needing answers to this whole battle. "Is everyone ok out their things look really vicious, why hasn't it been called off?" Sarah questioned without delay.

"I don't know, but I have to get back quickly the doctors don't want me walking around, I sneaked off while they weren't looking." She hobbled, she placed her hand in her Hospital gown pocket and dropped a folded piece of paper on the floor, opened the door leaving the room and closed the door.

James looked at the paper landed softly onto the cold floor, he walked over to it and pick up the paper, he unfolded it and scanned the words.

_JSF IS INFILTRATED BOMB ON ST G CARRIER MAYBE ON OTHERS STOP MATCH ASAP __TRUST ONLY PEOPLE YOU KNOW!_

He placed the note in his pocket. "I need to go." James said walking to the door looking physically distressed and a tone of tone that reflected that.

"James, what's the matter?" Sarah asked, but James closed the door leaving her by herself.

James walked down the white sterile corridor, knocking on one of the doors at the end of the corridor.

"Come in." A woman's voice responded.

James opened the door. Maho laying on the bed unmoving, cables and tubes where everywhere, Shiho Nishizumi seating next to her looking at her bruised face, all that could be heard was the beep of the heart monitor.

"How she doing?" James asked closing the door delicately behind him.

Shiho remained still her sight not moving a second off Maho face "It's not clear at the moment if she will wake up from this or not." She responded back her tone as one could imagine of great pain.

"Like her mother she is strong. She will recover from this." He walked over to her and sliding the note onto her hand, she looked down at it and read the note not muttering anything. Her whole body turned looking at him, as everything seemed the crash down all around her. James put his index finger to his lip. She nodded, "Rosehip." He said.

"I understand." She stood and walked past him opening the door. "Please look after her." James nodded. "And I will thank your sister once this is over as I am internally grateful for what she did." She closed the door, James then sat in Shiho chair and looked at the coma struck Maho. It was now the only time he was finally fully alone and his persona finally came fell apart around him as everyone bone, muscle, breath and every thought was full of agony.

"We can't let one more person die this week." He said hushed with his hands shaking went to his face as a tear rolled down. "Lady if you're listening, I will always love you." He muttered, closing his eyes as the teardrops left his face and fell to the floor. "You were something special, no one could understand me better than you, and you only knew for 3 months."

The door opened as Miho walked in to see the weeping James slumped in the chair. "James, are you ok?" She asked with compassion in her voice.

James stood and turned, wiping his eyes and nose with his blazer sleeve. "Miho. Sorry please sit." He said indicating to the chair.

She closed the door behind her and walked over to him only an arm's length apart and looked up into the grieved eyes. "What's wrong James? You're not like normal?"

"No no, I'm fine it's just a lot of things have happened all at once you know." He said back putting on a brave smile with the tears rolling along the side of his cheek. "Don't worry, I'm not being a weirdo being here, your mother wanted me to keep an eye out on your sister, while she's away."

"Where she has gone?" Miho asked.

"I…" He shrugged and confusion gripped his face. "…I don't know." As he lied to her.

Miho nodded as she took a step closer to James, now only inches away from each other. "You're a lovely person James, but even I can tell that something has happened to you. Please tell me I can help. Whatever is wrong it hurt more to keep it bottled in, it hurts me as well I've lost a lot. I know what the pain is like."

He let his mind tick over he then made a decision, he slowly nodded and took a deep breath as the tears rolled down his tender face. "Please keep it between me and you, OK? I only want a few people to know… Not even my sister knows about it." Miho nodded in agreement. "The St Gloriana that died trying to save someone in that IS-3." Miho nodded again. "She was my girlfriend and I watched her die live on TV and there was nothing I could do but watch." He blubbered out, as the stream of tear turned into a flood.

Miho lent into him and hugged him rubbing her hands on his back, she could feel his sore heartbeat through his uniform as pressed again him. "I'm so sorry James." She said into his ear as he cried on her shoulder.

"She was so caring… so loving… so beautiful. And I watched her die in front of my very eyes." He whimpered as his voice croaked.

They hug for what seemed like an eternity. She moved her hands over the top of his shoulders and around the back of his neck, as he lifted his head from her shoulder. She looked deep into his grey eye's reading his pain, as he looked back into hers with the brown eyes sparkling in the white light glow. She lent in, her lips rested compassionately onto his.

James instantly took a step back breaking her grip. "What are you doing Miho?!" He retorted, as he glared back at her.

"I'm so sorry, I don't know, I didn't mean." Miho said back pleaded for his forgiveness.

James closed his eyes and breathed as he composed himself. "I have to go."

"James, please I'm sorry." She begged of him, as he walked past, to the door. He opened the door and walked out, carefully closing the door behind him. He stood looking down the pristine hallway, he took a step to the side and lent his head on the wall, he felt everything and nothing at the same time. He looked down onto the palm of his hands still shaking hands.

"Be strong James, do it for Lady." He muttered to himself as he walked back over to Sarah's room.

Rosehip reached her door to her room as she slowly began sneakily hobble back into her room. "Rosehip you can't keep walking off like that." The female doctor said as soon as she walked in Rosehip jumped into the air out of fright not spotting her behind the door.

"I'm sorry, I have ants in my pants if I still for a single minute they start to crawl everywhere." As she pushed herself up on the bed lifting her leg into a sling above the bed.

"Please Rosehip use a wheelchair just for today once we know exactly what's wrong OK." The doctor added with Rosehip nodding back rather reluctantly.

The door was forced open, it swung hitting the door hit the wall with a loud bang, as a woman in black robes walking in. "I need to talk to you about what happened to Maho." She snapped.

"Miss Nishizumi … I." Rosehip spoke as terror gripped her voice.

"You can't be here." The doctor said trying to calm her down.

"Leave us." As Shiho eyes fixated on the doctor as she hissed at her. "Now! My daughter is at death's door and I want answers."

The doctor backed down and walked out of the room, it fell silent.

Shiho drew out the note out of her pocket showing it to Rosehip and folded it back into her pocket. Shiho nodded and circled her hand as if to play along. Rosehip nodded in return.

"So, what did Kay say!" As she walked up to Rosehip, moving a chair seating next to her head.

"I'll tell you everything." Rosehip said as she beckoned Shiro close to her in whispering distance. Shiho to lean in, as Rosehip began to speak quietly.

* * *

**D-DAY+3 time (20:49)**

Rosehip stood outside Darjeeling's HQ office thinking about the day's actions without English Breakfast the Chindits seemed to have lost its spark. Rosehip was the only person who had had a Crusader, the others were scraping the bottom barrel, Vanilla was now in a tetrarch. Rosehip's hope was dwindling of them being able to hold out and to win were slimming every minute. English's crew had for some reason be isolated and had to remain in the barracks, which was a shame as they worked so well together after taking down the IS-3. She waiting outside the front door to hand in a report of today's actions of the Chindits, the door opened with a dejected looking Miho walk out, closing the door behind her.

"Hi Miho, you giving Pravda a good fight." Rosehip added with an abundance optimism, Miho completely ignoring Rosehip and walked towards the mess area.

"_That's strange she's never like this?"_ Rosehip thought to herself.

She walked up to the door and raised her hand to knock but stopped as she heard Darjeeling mutter something. Then speaking clearly and precisely, into what she presumed was the radio.

"This is Darjeeling commander of St Gloriana's Girls College and head commander of team one I wish to speak with Shichiro Kodama now!"

"Unfortunately, he has been taken ill, I'm Shoji Nakamaro vice head of the JSF board how may I help?" came the response back over the radio loud speaker.

"I wish for my team to withdraw from the battle due to safety reasons. One of my crew members is dead and now the Miho's crew is dead." Rosehip was shocked, _"no one had said people had been killed, injured yes but killed? And now five people are dead in one day?" _She thought, she leaned her head put against the door to hear every word.

The radio went quiet for a couple of moments, a sharp sound static kicked in proceeded by a low buzzing.

"Oh, Darjeeling sadly that is not possible."

"What do you mean by this?"

"You will continue this match until it is over."

"No, I refuse."

"Ok then the lives of thousands of dead men, women and children will be on your conscience for the rest of your life."

"What?"

"If you refuse our group has placed explosives onto your carrier ship missy and if you don't get back into your tanks and fight we will see how fast a ship can sink to a watery grave."

"What is this… this… this isn't the JSF."

"No we are its saviour, now get back in the fucking tank and fight to the end. If you mention anything to anyone the ships go down."

Rosehip looked around no one was around her only Assam and Orange Pekoe were the closet to her but busy loading up the TOG and was too far away to hear what was just said.

"_I can't tell them, I have to get out of here fast. I need to get the message out."_ Rosehip thought as she ran to her tank, as the full moon illuminated the surrounding area.

"Rosehip please conserve your energy." Orange Pekoe shouted towards her.

"Sorry I just need to pick something up from my tank for this report." As she ran past both.

Her tank was only 200 meters away, she ran and then stopped looking at the pothole in front of her.

It has to be done, as she took a couple of steps back, taking short quick breaths.

She ran at full speed placing her left foot in the hole turning her foot so she landed on her ankle, there was a sharp crack, she fell front first as she screamed in pain grasping her ankle.

Darjeeling, Assam and Orange Pekoe soon joined her. With the helicopter arriving, she was placed on a stretcher and slid in with Miho joining her sitting in a spare seat, both where didn't say a word to each other as the helicopter rose into the night sky.

* * *

**D-DAY + 4 Time (22:14)**

"That's why they took your phones. So, you could get the message out." Shiho conjectured as she tried to put the pieces together.

"I guess so." Rosehip whispered back. "Please, Shiho stop this. I don't want my friends to die. I nearly lost English, I can't watch my friends and other innocent girls die on TV." Rosehip begged Shiho holding her hand squeezing it.

"I will." She walked to the door. "Thank you, Rosehip." As she closed the door behind her.

* * *

**The truth is out! Kay survives … for now, and everything is crashing around James.  
More to come in the coming chapters.**

**Review time, had to be done Sleipnir, no one is safe in the battle we can't have plot armour on anyone it keeps the battle's interesting knowing that anyone could be killed. **

**If you want a map to understand what the battlefield looks like, I've made a basic one, if you go to flickr and search username - Montysmypython it's there.**

**If you want to give me some feedback please leave a review its always appreciated.**


	9. Chapter 9: D-Day plus 5

**Chapter 9 D-DAY + 5**

**D-DAY +5 Time (10:24)**

Miho's prophecy had become a reality as 152mm HE projectiles shrieked through the stunning blue sky, raining into the earth below. Eruptions of mud landed onto tanks, others were knocked out by the sheer force of the blast. Darjeeling's last remaining forces positioned themselves south of Rorke's Drift, tanks moved into the large shell craters hoping that a shell wouldn't land in the same spot twice.

Darjeeling's once immaculate uniform, perfectly platted hair and calm composure were no more; everything was ravaged by this gruelling campaign, the only thing not ruined was her shimmering rich blue eyes. She had her commander's hatch open being just behind the objective where the bombardment was less severe. She and the other tanks with powerful anti-tank guns were to provide long-distance cover for the battered forces at the frontline.

She slid back into the tank sitting, her face blank as she stared aimlessly down at the gun breech, every so often her body made a small twitch, like a cold shiver had entered her body. Assam and Orange Pekoe looked helplessly at their commander.

"Darjeeling do you need something to drink?" Orange Pekoe asked placing her hand on Darjeeling's the knee.

Darjeeling glared back down at her "Yes, I am quite all right." She barked, she looked towards Assam "Assam you are to aim for the gun barrels of tank and tracks, nothing else." She then looked back towards the rather scared Orange Pekoe. "You are to only load HE no amour piercing rounds is that understood!"

"Ye..yes Darjeeling." Orange Pekoe responded to every word etched in fear.

Darjeeling face fell to her hands, she wished she could tell them, the pressure and the fear she felt was immeasurable, but was the JSF listening in? Did they have bugs in every tank? She didn't know. All she knew was she didn't want to cause more spilt blood on the already soaked battlefield. However, if she didn't put up a fight countless numbers of people were at risk.

"Tanks approaching! Panzer IVs, T-34s, Panzer IIIs, KV-1s and maybe more." Kay radioed in from the frontlines, feeling refreshed and born again, ready to stick one back to the enemy force with her conscious somewhat clean.

"That means they are running low on tanks, but we are in no better shape." Darjeeling called back. She locked her hands together placing her two index fingers together as she thought. "Assam what is the status on tank reserves at the HQ?"

Assam closed her eyes trying to remember the data she saw this morning from Alisa. "We have no spare tanks even the Churchill Gun Carriers are fighting. Ooarai does not have any replacements, Saunders has only 9 Shermans mostly of the M4A1 variety." She stated with a disconcerting tone.

"When defending, numbers are not always the key to success. Battle of Thermopylae comes to mind." Orange Pekoe stated trying to lift the defeated mood from inside the metal machine.

"Yes, but they did lose in the end Orange Pekoe ." Assam added intern.

"OK girls, time for talking is over! The battle is now upon us. You know what to do." Darjeeling voiced confidently.

Panzer IVs headed the charge with Erika's Tiger II following close behind, firing their shells towards the forward defensive line forming a large horseshoe. The Pravda tanks spit off to attack the flanks and hopefully get around and encircle the objective.

"All tanks on the frontline hold your fire, find your targets and knock them out." Kay commanded as she peered a little above the cupola, the whizzing of the flying shells somewhat exciting her when it really shouldn't have. The enemy force got closer they could even see the black cross of Kuromorimine, clear as day. "All tanks fire!" Kay bellowed over the radio. Churchills, Matildas, Shermans and even Churchill Gun Carriers opened up. The crimson glow crisscrossed the battlefield as tanks from both sides were knocked out one by one.

Darjeeling just sat in her commander's seat, she looked at the tanks, each one having innocent young girls in them, yet they were death traps. If things continued as they were someone else was going to die, she felt her body fall into darkness with her slumping on the back of the turret wall crying.

"Darjeeling… what's the matter?" Orange Pekoe disregarded her duties as a loader and moved over to the distraught commander, she scooted past the gun breach. "Please Darjeeling, How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a weary world."

"William Shakespeare." Darjeeling replied. Orange Pekoe smiled and nodded, she leant in and hugged her. Orange felt all the water splash onto her shoulders, with her arms wrapping around the well-worn red uniform of Darjeeling's large bust.

"You are the light for everyone here, you give us guidance in our darkest time Darjeeling." Orange whispered into her ear. "I know you must be feeling bad about Lady Grey but it won't happen again."

"Darjeeling, we need support! The eastern flank is falling!" Rukuriri yelled over the radio.

Darjeeling tumbled with the microphone. "Hold firm!" She stated as firmly as she could.

"Yes, Daj…_Bang!" _

"Are you OK Rukuriri?" she begged down the microphone.

"… Yes, but we are out." Rukuriri finally responded.

Darjeeling took a sigh of relief at least one of her friends would be safe from this battle as Rukuriri would be out.

The Pravda tanks began to push through the opening as the Kuromorimine tanks lead by the most destructive tank still running on the battlefield, Erika's Tiger II, pushed forward. The match looked to be all but over now, with more tanks still falling victim to each other's deadly rounds.

* * *

**D-DAY +5 Time (14:45)**

The outside of the building was nothing special, a dull concrete monstrosity with large transparent material on each level, with each row of glass being the same as the layer above, behind one of the glass panels was a boardroom with the bright glorious sunlight rained in through the large glass panel windows behind an oaked desk. A man with greasy black hair in a ponytail in a white shirt and black tie sat in a large black leather chair with his feet put on the desk. "I can't even believe that they gave me a bar with my name at the front of this desk." He chuckled to himself. "Vice head of the JSF Shoji Nakamaro. That's me all right." As he listened to a large commotion outside of his office as it got louder and louder, he instantly put his feet back under the desk and straightened his white shirt.

The doors were slammed wide open Shiho walked in "Where's Shiro?!" she demanded.

As his secretary ran in after her. "I'm sorry Shoji Nakamaro." she said.

"No, no that's fine Aimi, please close the door on your way out, go for a coffee you've had a busy day." He responded back in an affectionate tone.

She bowed and walked out of the boardroom closing the door behind her.

"He's ill." The man behind the desk responded, sounding calm and calculated.

"He's not be seen for days now, he's not at his home, where is he!? Don't make me call the police." Shiho threated again.

"Oh Shiho Nishazumi, you are so naive." The man said back looking down to his hand, playing with a silver ring on his finger.

He groaned as he got up from his chair and walked over to a cabinet on the side of the room picking up a glass FT-17 and inspected the beautiful model. "He had to go; he would not reform to the new way of Sensha-Dō."

"Which is!?"

"Ending it." As he threw the glass on the floor shattering it into small pieces. "We are its saviour. By ending this barbaric sport we will be saving countless lives."

"By ending innocent children's lives now? You're sick." She shouted back at him.

"Sometime sacrifices must be made, the needs of the many outweigh the needs of a few. The great war is coming... we need to stop it, and this sport is to cause for it!" he yelled with real force.

"Are you deluded?"

"I'm not the one who is deluded Shiho! Look at the girls, on the battlefield now, fighting, torturing each other, even attempted murder, look at what Kay did to your daughter. Your favourite daughter." His eyes met hers as she glared back at him unmoving breathing heavily.

He walked back to his chair and sat. "I want the whole world to see what monsters these 'children' have become. I have seen what they have done, what they are capable of." He firmly yelled at her. "When the war comes, they will be the first ones to be picked for service and the first to be killed, I don't want this to happen. I don't want my daughters of this great country to die like that." He said as his voice softened and his body slumped forward in his chair, looking to her then back at his ring.

"They're just children, they're scared. They've seen their friends die in front of them, in what they thought were safe tanks; they don't know what to do" she firmly responded back. "How could you do such a thing!"

He sat back into his chair and just smiled back, unfazed by her pleas of mercy. "I will be the one saving lives and I always hoped to get my hands on you. You are the person that has and will cause so much pain to countless people." He then angled his head as his neck clicked. "You know you won't be leaving this building alive right. But I will be a gentleman, would you like your body disposed of in a watery grave or one made of earth or maybe ravaged by fire?" As the smile enlarged around his face. "But sadly, the way you die that's already predestined, I'll aim for the head, supposedly you don't feel any pain, compared with the suffering you have caused in the past, the present and future. This is a blessed relief to you!"

"I guessed that I might die here, but I would do it again and again to save all those girls lives." As she spoke she put her finger to her ear. "Cupola."

He rapidly opened the draw in his desk. As the windows smashed behind him with armed men in army uniforms coming through abseiling. Instantly they put a submachine gun barrel pushing into the back of his head as he slowly put his hands up, they pushed the right side of his face onto the table, with the broken glass piercing his face causing it to bleed. She walked over to him as he struggled to break free from the soldiers as they bound his hand together with zip ties.

"I know people higher up than you, you little shit. I would spit in your face, but you would probably like it" she said with real disdain.

He laughed demonically. "You think this is over! An empire that is destroyed by its enemies can rebuild but one that falls from within is dead forever." The doors opened to the boardroom with more armed soldiers.

"Boardroom secure!" one called on his radio.

"The building is now secure. Follow us Shiho." One soldier said as she was led out with an armed escort out of the building. With police cars and army vehicles moving in as large lines of people walked out of the building with their hands up.

Shiho walked out, to a small cordoned area around an army truck. "Let's stop this match." Shiho said.

Ami Chöno nodded, sitting in the back of the truck as she turned the dials of the now seized main control radio set. "This is instructor Ami Chöno. All tanks are to cease combat and crews are to exit their vehicles immediately. I repeat, all tanks are to cease combat and crews are to exit their vehicles immediately."  
Shiho turned and looked at a senior army commander seating opposite to Ami. "Have they found anything on the ships Major Yokota?

"Nothing yet. Our bomb squads will not leave a stone unturned" he said back unflinching.

"Good" Shiho said back.

* * *

**D-DAY + 5 Time (16:12)**

As the clean-up began they finally were able to see what caused the tanks to become death traps. Darjeeling, Katyusha, Kay and Erika were standing next to a St Gloriana head mechanic.

"As you see this is what the normal onboard computer looks like, it controls the flag and calculates whether or not a tank has been destroyed." As he held a motherboard in his hand. "But this is a picture from the bomb squad." As he drew out his phone all the girls leaned in. "See this blue cable that isn't supposed to be there, that blue cable leads to a small pack of C4 explosives in the tank. Some have had the C4 near the fuel tanks, some had them on the ammo racks. From what we gathered so far, every tank had this done to it. It seems it was fate or not if it went off."

"But how could this get passed the tank inspectors?" Erika asked.

"I have no idea. I think they have all been arrested and questioned." The mechanic responded.

Some of the girls were physically shocked, to know that their crew and their own life hung in the balance of a computer. As Darjeeling had a flashback to the third day and how lucky she was as the wire failed, she and her crew could have been killed, as a little bit of vomit came up her throat.

Darjeeling composed herself. "Ok, let's get back please inform all your teams that their tanks will be safe to use once the computers are taken out and replaced by trusted mechanics." Darjeeling said to all the girls who then walked their own way to their team.

Kay stopped and ran over to Erika. "Erika, please stop." Erika stopped and turned to face Kay.

"For what I did to Maho I am truly sorry, to see Naomi nearly slip through my hands like that, and the mad theories going around in my head I just lost it" Kay spoke, guilt-ridden.

"Kay you should not apologise, I should be the one apologising to you again. Once you think you lost a loved one forever rationality flies out of the window. You and I were consumed by revenge and we both know it was wrong." Erika took a deep breath, as to forget the incident.

"Once this is over please go and see Shiho speak to her" Erika responded humanely. "But she has told me to tell you she won't be pressing charges against you."

"Thanks Erika." As Kay hugged her Erika awkwardly hugged back, slowly relaxed to feel the remedying effect as the stress was revealed.

Darjeeling walked back to Orange Pekoe and Assam, with Orange Pekoe handing over her a hot cup of tea. "You deserve this" Orange Pekoe said cracking a small grin.

"Thank you, without human companions, paradise itself would be an undesirable place." Darjeeling said back. They walked off together.

"So how many people were in on this?" Assam questioned.

"I don't know but that's what worries me, let's hope the rabbit hole doesn't go so deep." Darjeeling added, her phone then rang.

"Darjeeling? St Gloriana Girls College head commander speaking" the phone called back, she stopped walking and the teacup slipped out of her hand smashing on the floor as tea seeped into the ground. As she ended the call her face turning a little red and bottom lip began to shake in tandem with her hands. "I need to go." Darjeeling blubbered.

"What, why what's the matter Darjeeling?" Assam asked worried never seeing Darjeeling so upset.

"Nothing, nothing." She ran away for the other two her, covering her face with her hands.

* * *

**D-DAY + 5 Time (15:52)**

Two police officers were guarding Sarah's door, Sarah sitting up on the angled bed with James sitting next to her playing chess on the overtop bed table with his black Tankery blazer over his casual wear.

"You're getting better at chess you know." James said looking at the board with complete concentration.

"Thanks."

"Kay must have knocked more sense into you" he added with his iconic sassiness.

Sarah glared at James. "Too soon?" he said putting his hands up.

The door knocked and a doctor walked in, who stopped and stood by the door. "How are you doing…" The doctor asked, looking behind him was a clipboard on the door with Sarah's details. "…Sarah?"

"Headache but that's because of my brother being here."

"Well, that's just uncalled for!" James said opening his mouth leaning back in an offended position.

"Sadly, I will need James for you to go" he said indicating to the door.

"Sorry doctor but due to how things have been recently I wish to stay."

"I'm going to have to insist." The doctor said with more of an assertive tone placing his hands by his side.

"Say if your partner was in the hospital you would stick with them and not leave them, would you?" James retorted firmly looking down to the doctor's silver ring on his finger.

"I guess you're right. Sadly, that means you will be joining her." His right hand-dived swiftly into the inside pocket of his white robe drawing out a handgun, pointing it straight at Sarah she covered her face with her hands, James stood up, two shots rang out the police barged the door open wrestling the doctor to the ground with the gun in his hand still smoking.

Sarah opened her eyes, with the white light of the room pouring in through, the cracks of her covered hands over her face, her ears rang in a high-pitched squeal, she dropped her hands to her side looking to her right, there was a bullet hole which hit the frame of the bed a couple of centimetres next to her head. She looked over to James as time slowed around her. He was still standing in front of her not moving.

_"He's fine."_ She thought to herself relieved, as a dark liquid began to stain the back of this battledress, he collapsed on his side onto the hard hospital floor knocking over the chessboard in the process, blood gushing out everywhere. She surged over to her brother, putting pressure on the bullet wound square in the middle of his chest as he groaned in pain.

"James please focus on me nothing else OK?" Her green eyes on his grey implored him.

The police officers had the doctor handcuffed and dragged out of the room. "We need medics here now! We have someone shot, maybe possible other shooters" said one on his walkie-talkie on his shoulder.

"Help please! Don't go!" Sarah screamed at them with all of her energy, as the officers left the room dragging out the doctor. She was all alone her tears began to roll down her face onto the blood-covered floor.

James slowly put his dark ruby hand on her cheek wiping the tears away with his thumb. "Don't cry" he wheezed, coughing up thick blood. "I'll see mum and Lady Grey OK."

"No James you can't. I need you here! Dad needs you!" She couldn't stop the tears as she felt his heartbeat slower and slower. "James no, don't do go you've haven't told me Darjeeling's real name! You promised me you would tell me, remember?" she begged him, the river of tears still streamed down her face as she placed more and more pressure on the wound trying to keep him alive, just that little bit longer.

His hand fell from her face dropped to the floor. James lips slowly formed a smiled his white teeth stained by the blood dribbled from his mouth as the breathing slowed.

"James don't go, James, please. Please!" she pleaded. His eyelids slowly closed covering his grey eyes, his body relaxed, as he exhaled his final breath gently and peacefully drifting into the end of all things.

She leant over to his head kissing the top of his forehead, the drops of tears flowing onto his motionless face, with her blood-soaked hands still on the gaping wound.

A team of paramedics ran in with a wheeled stretcher, lifted his body and rushed him out of the room; his hand dangling off the side lifelessly.

Sarah stayed motionless on the blood-drenched floor her lip quivering uncontrollably, the room was now empty again, she held onto the bed and got up, she walked out of the room with her blood-covered hospital gown, out into the hectic hallway with people running in all directions, clattering into people but she didn't care. She stumbled into the shower room on the opposite side of the hallway, locking the door behind her, discarded her gown on the floor and turning the shower to its hottest setting, she leaned her back on the wall sliding down into a ball on the floor with the blistering water impacting her, purifying the blood off her skin. She felt nothing, she was numb to the soul.

* * *

**D-DAY + 5 Time (20:19)**

The hospital was quiet, Sarah lay in her bed looking at the ceiling, as she counted the ceiling panels over and over. The door knocked but Sarah didn't answer, staying in silence. The door knocked again Sarah did the same and ignored it.

"Sarah if you don't want me in there that's fine and I understand" came a calm but unmistakably sobbing voice of someone she didn't expect to be here.

"Come in" she responded still focused on the ceiling.

The noise of the door opened and closed echoed around the room as footstep drew louder.

"I brought you this." Sarah looked over; it was Darjeeling, still in her tattered Sensha-Dō uniform, placing Sarah's phone on the overtop bed table.

"Thanks." She said back emotionless as her head turned and looked to the ceiling again.

"I'm going to go I shouldn't have come here" Darjeeling said turning and walking away to the door, still visibly upset by this ordeal.

"No please stay" Sarah then said with a little emotion to her voice.

Darjeeling walked back and sat next to her.

"Do you know what happened to me after?" Sarah said to Darjeeling, who shook her head. Sarah turned her head to look at the raw face of Darjeeling. "The SWAT team found me crying naked on the floor in the shower room two hours after it happened. My skin was so red they thought I was bleeding."

Darjeeling put her hand on Sarah's hand. "I'm just so sorry, your brother..." She paused as her eyes filled with tears and her throat felt like a golf ball was in it. "…Your brother was just a perfect person in every way, I knew him for many years, and he was only a few I would regard with high regard as a true friend. He helped and supported me through the best and worst times of my life. I wish I could thank him for it from all those years ago, in Bovington all the way to this tournament. If I could turn back time, and stop this tournament from ever happening, I would do it more than I wanted my next breath."

"He mentioned Lady Grey before he died; you know why I'm guessing" Sarah said back her tone still emotionless with a hint of confusion.

Darjeeling wiped her face with her dirty, soggy sleeve. "He didn't mention it to you?" Sarah slowly shook her head. "She was his girlfriend, he said to me if things worked out after the tournament, he may have proposed to her." Darjeeling wept as she fought with her feelings.

Sarah looked from Darjeeling's distraught face to her phone turning it on with messages, missed calls and voicemails. She clicked on the voicemails playing then out on loudspeaker.

The phone voice began to speak. "You have 3 new messages first message _beep_. Dad here good luck again we're really looking forward to it, mum would be so proud of you and again good luck!"

"Second message _beep_. Dad here give me a call just need to know if you're ok."

"Third message _beep_. Hi, it's James here, just calling to see if you're OK, Dad is worried sick, as you took a pretty nasty hit. Please call me back, love you sis" the phone chatted away. She turned the phone off and put it down on the table. She heavily breathed in and out, trying to stay calm as she clenched the bed covers with her war-weary hands.

"I'm not going to cry Darjeeling." Her eyes began to water. "I can't keep crying." Darjeeling lent in as Sarah's head rested on her chest as she sobbed.

"Shhhhh, shhhhhh." Darjeeling said crying as well leaning her head on top of Sarah's. "You don't have to be ashamed to shed tears."

"I haven't even seen my dad Darjeeling; I don't know where he is, or what is happening. I'm scared." Sarah wept.

"I will do everything in my power to help you, Sarah" she said kissing the top of her head.

"Thank you, Darjeeling."

"I can only ask you to please, for James's sake, rest. I'll get your dad here, OK?" Darjeeling said as she wiped her face with the sleeve again, leaving for the door.

Darjeeling walked down the corridor with armed police guards at every door and knocked on one near the end of the corridor.

"Come in."

Miho and Shiho sat with now awake Maho, still with many cables still attached to her.

"How you are doing Maho?" Darjeeling asked. Maho sluggishly nodded back.

"Miss Nishazumi, I need your help. I need to find English Breakfast's father, Robert Alexander."

"He's the father of James, right?"

Darjeeling slowly nodded.

"I'll have a word with security as everything is on lockdown. Only trusted people can come in or out."

"I appreciate that Miss Nishazumi thank you."

"I think, I know him." Miho said still rather shocked by this whole event, looking over to Darjeeling.

"If you could help Miho as I don't know his face." Darjeeling responded back, with a tear rolled down her cheek as she wiped it away. "I'm such a bad commander. Not even knowing my crews' parents" she tried to say with some cheer to hide her real emotion.

Darjeeling left the room followed by Miho, as they walked to the escalator with one end of the hallway closed off with police tape, pressed the button and waited for it to arrive.

"I'm sorry Miho, I couldn't tell you about your sister. The pain you went through, I just couldn't add that on top."

"Darjeeling, I understand, I really do. You don't have to apologise for it." Miho placed her hand on Darjeeling's shoulder.

"This whole week Miho; it's killed me inside. The Pravda girls, Masala, Maho, Kay, Alisa, Naomi, English, Hana, Yukari, Saori, Mako, Lady Grey and now James. It hurts, my soul is burning." Darjeeling breathed in heavily holding back sorrowful feelings.

"The people responsible will be punished Darjeeling." She turned and face Darjeeling, holding her worn hand. "But this is no time to be angry or upset, this is the time to reminisce on the ones you love and the ones that love you."

"I think my soul has infected yours Miho; that was a beautiful saying."

The door opened as the elevator went down to the main reception with hundreds of people in there, some standing, other sat in available seats, most sat on the floor, as the armed police stood around them.

Miho scanned the walked forward scanning the room, looking at all the faces all with mixed expressions.

"There." She pointed to a man sitting on the floor with his back slumped on a wall, as he looked at his phone, his face was full of anguish.

"Robert?" Darjeeling asked the man. He looked up at them.

"Yes, that's me" he muttered.

"Please follow me."

He stood, wallowing behind her.

She walked to an awaiting elevator, but an armed Police officer stuck out his arm as he tried to walk in.

"You are not permitted to enter" he barked straight into Roberts' face.

"Miss Nishazumi has given me strict permission for this man to come with me." Darjeeling glared and yelled back at the officer.

"No can do." The officer put his hand on the back of Robert's shirt dragged him violently back to the reception.

"Do you have no compassion? Is this how you treat a mourning father who has lost his only son? There is a special place in hell for people like you!"

The officer threw back a dirty look towards Darjeeling. The walkie-talkie chattered.

"_Robert Alexander has been given the green light."_

The officer pressed back the walkie-talkie. "Understood, over." He looked over to Robert. "Your name?!"

"Robert Alexander."

"Son's name?"

"My murder son's name is James! James Alexander!"

"Go!" The officer said with complete distaste pointing to the elevator with Darjeeling and Miho waiting.

He entered the elevator and the door closed. "Thank you both. I've been trying and trying to get hold of her. I leave for 4 hours. And this happens." As he slumped back on the lift as he closed his eyes.

The girls stood awkwardly in silence, not knowing what to say to a grieving father. The doors opened as they walked down the hallway walking closer and closer to the police tape, they stopped.

"Sarah is on the door on the left." Darjeeling said as she put her hand on his shoulder.

"Sorry girls but I'm going to need a moment." He whispered as his throat swelled, as he looked at the tape and the room they were in hours before.

Miho and Darjeeling walked back to Maho's room. Miho walked in first with Darjeeling following she took one last look at Robert who had one hand on the wall head facing the floor, he took one deep breath walking into Sarah's room.

Sarah still lay in her bed with her eyes on the ceiling still. James message rang out in her head. She heard some footsteps outside her room and the mumble of voices. She looked over to the door and saw nothing, the footsteps faded as the people must have walked away, but then the handle of the door was pushed down, and she looked at the man wretched with pain across his whole face.

"Dad!" She yelled, as she got out of the bed running towards him as she hugged him not letting go as they both released their pent-up emotions.

"You're safe that's all I can ask for" he said as Sarah's shoulder became damp with his head resting on it, as he stroked her hair. "He's with mum now, she'll take good care of him, I'm sure of it."

"She will. She will dad."

* * *

**The battle is finally over and James is now dead RIP. Next chapter is the last one! **

**Review time, had to be done Sleipnir, I do I have my first as this story is a continuation of that one (but it's really bad so I wouldn't read it lol).**

**If you want a map to understand what the battlefield looks like, I've made a basic one, if you go to flickr and search username - Montysmypython it's there.**

**If you want to give me some feedback please leave a review its always appreciated!**


	10. Chapter 10: The End

Chapter 10 The End.

* * *

"Sarah are you ready?" A voice called out, echoing around the quiet, humble building.

"Yes, I am ready" she replied as she placed her beret on her head, looking into the mirror as a now common sight reflected towards her, the brown pin curled hair, red lipstick on matching her St Gloriana's Sensha-Dō uniform. She walked down the stairs that groaned with every step.

Her dad was wearing a rather tight-fitting dark navy-blue suit with a round silver medal on his chest. He opened the front door and they both walked towards the black car waiting outside of the cottage with a cobbled wall around the small front garden with beautiful frost-covered fields on top of rolling hills with a little mist in the air as the sun slowly warmed the surroundings.

They opened door to the black car, sat in and closed it again. The car began to move slowly winding around the roads it was joined more and more cars, as the convoy grew larger.

Sarah turned to her dad, and looked down to the shinning silver medal. "What's that medal for dad?"

"Oh, this..." as he lifted it. "Most improved crew member."

"Oh ok."

"Yep, being the driver wasn't really my thing, but that's where I was put. Over a couple of years, I got the hang of it and got so I could anticipate the commander's actions before he had even said them. Which wasn't too good for the gunner who always had a moan at me, because he could never get a shot off. As I would be dodging all the return fire… or well trying to. That's how I ended up working for the car company as I could drive and fix anything mechanical."

"What tank did you drive?"

"Cromwell of course. Which was why I was so shocked to see you commanding one at St Gloriana's. See it runs in the blood, James was a commander in a Cromwell at his starting point in Bovington. Your mother was even a gunner for one."

"Really?"

"Oh yer, she couldn't get enough of it. Which is why one night we 'borrowed' one from the school's garage; me driving it around at full whack and her shooting the gun at targets till the sunrise the next day" he said, reminiscing.

"Did they find out?" she asked eagerly.

"Of course not" he sniggered to himself "Those were the days. She was damn good gunner she was she could hit a moving target on the move herself at 800 meters. She could have gone professional but decided she wanted to live life in the slow lane, after getting married."

"Was she really that good?"

"Yeah, she was. She was easily the best gunner in the whole of the school, heck in the country maybe." He looked over to his daughter, the mirror image of her in looks and mannerisms, unbeknownst to her. "You know, you as commander, me as the driver, James as loader and mum as the gunner. We would have made a pretty mean Cromwell crew." He smiled over to her.

"Why wouldn't James be the commander?"

"Well, could you imagine him bossing everyone around, that wouldn't work and anyway we could put him on radio duty as he had a big enough mouth." He signed a little as he composed himself, he leant over to pull her beret down a little, putting more of a slant to the hat. "I think once this day is over, and we have reached calm waters, I need to tell you something about your mother, something I should have told you and James before. But I never knew when the best time was."

Sarah closed her eyes and nodded in agreement. The road straightened as a small crematorium chapel came into view ahead. Small lane was covered in bouquets colouring the road from the dull grey, with onlookers all standing at attention on the paths at the side of the road, all in different uniforms from schools, professional teams and even countries. All was silent only the purring of the cars engines and the tyres rolling along the road.

They got to the chapel yard and the cars dropped them off as there was no car park. The precession walked to the chapel with the cold winter's morning hugging them. Sarah walked in and sat in the warm small chapel at the front sitting alone in the front pew, looking at a large metal table with dark red curtains on either side and a podium to the left-hand side. The small crematorium chapel slowly began to fill with people with different uniforms from all around the world from the Americas, Europeans, Asia, Africa and Oceania with the conversation levels rising, as they all mingled with each other. _"Prussia High would be delighted to take ATLAS Academy on in a friendly…Scott couldn't be here his unfortunately, he has got some business to attend to …Shamrock School I've never heard of you lot before… Did you hear about his guy Mr Joules I've heard rumours going around…"_

"Sarah?" Someone placed their hand on her shoulder. Sarah looked behind her.

"Beth! How's university?" she said back looking at her Boston old school uniform with her golden tank badge on her chest sparking as the pair of golden badges were finally reunited again.

"Going really well; but Sarah..." Beth placed Sarah's hand on her shoulder again. "We saw you get hit trying to save Maho Nishizumi. I cried for hours - I didn't know what happened to you, it was such a relief to hear you were OK."

"Kay can't kill me. She's too soft." Sarah said with a little chuckle.

"Once we heard the news about what happened to James, everyone one was heartbroken here at Boston."

"I don't know what to say really. I can't say thank you if you know what I mean. But thank you."

"I know what you mean" Beth answered back reassuringly.

"Please can everyone take their seats" came a voice from the front. Sarah turned to see a man in khaki Tankery uniform standing behind the podium. He looked familiar; her mind raced as she came full circle on her Tankery journey, it was the head of Bovington Tankery who she saw after James won at the Great British Cup. She turned back to look to Beth's long blond hair and give her a small smile.

"I'll see you later Beth. Once this is all over."

Beth closed her green eyes and nodded, moving to the back to of the chapel to find her pew.

The chapel slowly began to simmer down as the noise dropped, just the sounds of breathing was the only noise to be heard. Both chapel oak doors opened, as a warm glow came in from the low hung sun accompaniment by the bitterly cold breeze of the winter morning. As a wooden casket came into view carried in with Sarah's dad as the lead bearer. The precession slowly passed with both his Bovington and London United cap's on top, as they head towards the table placing it down slowly and carefully, all the bearers slowly walked to their pews with Sarah's dad next to her, as he put his hand or hers. The man in the in kaki Tankery uniform walked up to the podium, as he had a small written note in his hand.

"Thank you all for being here I this time of mourning. Today we wish to remember and cherish James Edward Alexander, who sadly passed away." The man stopped, took a deep breath and looked down at his notes. "We can only imagine what this young and talented man could have done for the world of Tankery but sadly we will never know." He looked up to everyone in the small chapel. "It will be a great loss and for me, he will always be remembered to me as Alexander the Great." The chapel was silent apart from the odd sniff was heard. "Now I will pass you over to Robert Alexander who wishes to say a couple of words."

"You got this dad," Sarah whispered to him, as he nodded back to her.

He walked up to the podium and shook the man's hand and looked out to the grieving faces of all the people seating in front of him.

"I'm happy to see no Black suits, as James was never a man for a formal engagement. Thank you also for wearing your Tankery uniforms; I know James would be laughing at me now seeing me trying to get into my 20-year-old Tankery uniform this morning, as I must have grown out more horizontality since then!" Some of the crowd chuckled with smiles appearing on some grieving faces.

"He was a son unlike no other, as he would talk the talk, but he could walk the walk. Which was embarrassing for me to try and teach him a lesson. Hopeful he has brought you all joy to your lives and if you were fighting against him well let's say he loved to beat you on the battlefield."

He put his hand on the coffin, as a small liquid crystal rolled down his cheek. "The people who did this want this sport to die off, to be thrown into the ash heap. So please, for James's sake and the others that sadly passed, we can't let them win. We will show them we are strong and united. I miss you James - You won't be forgotten." The chapel was momentarily silent until the man in the khaki green uniform stood and clapped; others followed his example as the chapel echoed to the sound of clapping as Robert sat down, with the rest of the chapel following.

Sarah couldn't hold back her emotions after that

She leaned on his shoulder as her eyes watered. He put his arm around her rubbing her shoulder, as he kissing the side of her head.

"That was beautiful dad." She murmured.

"When mum died, James... he was only 4 at the time... he ran into the house to pick up a couple of toys and looked at me and said to me, 'dad why are you sad?' just as the phone call ended. I said to him, 'I wasn't sad I felt bad because I didn't say goodbye to mum as she would be gone for a while.' He smiled at me, they ran off the play with his friends in the garden, with the one-year-old you sleeping upstairs on that beautiful sunny day in September. So hopefully today he would be proud of this message, my final goodbye to him."

The funeral proceeded, with other people taking the stand and talking about their memories of James from his time at Bovington to London United. As Sarah found out little things about him she never knew, the funniest being the first spying mission he went on, which went horribly wrong as he blew his cover and he hid a large capacity wheelie bin, for 3 hours before his other colleague found in there him, smelling of rotted food covered in black bin bags.

Eventually, the man in khaki Tankery uniform walked up to the podium. "Thank you every one who spoke today, with your great stories and moving words but the journey is now over as we have reached the end of the road." He looked over at the coffin and then back to the crowd. "It is now the time where we must say our final goodbye to James. The path he takes now is one he must take alone." He turns to face James coffin. "James; your journey may have been short, but the impact it has made cannot be underestimated. You will forever be in our thoughts and in our hearts. May you now rest in peace. Goodbye James... " He walked back to his pew.

Somebody at the back of the chapel stood, Sarah turned as the young man put a brass bugle his lip as he played the Last Post call. The metal table slowly rotated becoming parallel to the pews as the red curtains slowly closed around; the once fun and light-hearted mood had gone, replaced with pain and pity as people sobbed. As the curtains surrounded the coffin the bugle stopped, and gradually the chapel emptied.

Sarah remained sitting looking at the grey stone floor, with her dad walking over to the khaki uniformed man as they had a private word with each other.

Someone walked in front of her and stopped. "It's hard to forget someone who gave you so much to remember." She looked up the black boots and skirt, a dark red coat a black leather handbag, with beautiful blond hair and the deep blue eyes.

"Darjeeling, I didn't think you would come!" Sarah stood and hugged her.

"Oh, but I must be here." She looked at the curtains. "How lucky I am, to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard." Then she looked back to Sarah.

"I hope this was the right way of sending him off."

"He would be happy. If I was upset, I wouldn't be able to say any proverbs. So, you did a good job as your dad would say he would not want people upset, which is how James would like it. Today is also Anglerfish's memorial service. Orange Pekoe and Assam are going there on my behalf. As much as I respect Miho and her crew, James was a dear friend who I don't think I would never forget." Darjeeling smiled back.

Sarah tried her best to smile back but just couldn't muster the energy.

"With sympathy. Words can't wipe away your tears. Hugs won't ease your pain. But hold on to your memories. Forever they'll remain" Darjeeling said, hugging Sarah again hoping to relieve some of the pain.

Sarah looked over Darjeeling's shoulder to see Beth walking out of the chapel. "Beth! Quick come."

She turned on the spot and walked down the aisle to the front. Beth walked up to the two girls. "This is…" Sarah added pointing towards Darjeeling.

"Darjeeling it's a real pleasure to meet you," Beth said buttingin, her face beaming as she looked straight into Darjeeling's eyes.

"Beth O'Conner, right? Sarah has told me a lot about you." Darjeeling said back, calmly.

"Really? I'm nothing special just a freethinker." Beth said flustered. "But, may I ask one question Darjeeling?"

"Yes of course."

"English Breakfast? I had a laughing fit once Sarah told me! Why did you give her that name?"

"Well, the names as we known are to keep our identities secret. So, most are picked at random."

"Most?" Beth asked as she felt something was afoot.

"I choose Sarah's just to see her reaction." Darjeeling covered her mouth as she giggled. "She could have asked to have it changed to something random but she never asked for it to be changed."

"Can I change my name then?" Sarah stared over at Darjeeling.

"That ship has long since sailed; everyone knows you know as English Breakfast and besides, James asked for something embarrassing so I had to comply."

Sarah turned to the red curtains. "James you bastard, you really wanted the last laugh didn't you!?" She smiled as the tears dribbled down her face.

Beth looked at her watch on her arm. "Sorry ladies but the taxi that will be dropping me off at the party will be here now, so I'll catch you up with you there." Sarah smiled and nodded with Darjeeling in turn.

Beth walked off towards the main door in a quick canter, with the man in the khaki uniform and Sarah's dad joining her.

"Dad I'll join you in a bit," Sarah shouted over to him. He raised his thumb and nodded. The chapel was now empty only with Darjeeling and Sarah the only living people in it.

Darjeeling opened her bag "So James went to see Lady Grey's parents."

"What really?"

"Yes, they said he was really nice, but a little shy."

She chuckled a bit. "I can't believe that." It probably was true hearing some of the stories been told.

"So the IS-3 she was in was completely destroyed inside; there was nothing in there, not even any ashes. So, Lady Grey's parents decided that when she was a child they had a wonderful little apple tree in the garden that she used to dance around and enjoy the sweet fruit it bore. So, they have decided to burn it with some of her Sensha-Dō clothes, to have something to remember her in one way or another." Darjeeling took out a small white rounded china pot which had blue Japanese words painted on it, saying "Lost, but lives in our hearts." She passed it over to Sarah.

"Thank you, James would have been happy. We are having him cremated so we will mix them together so they can be with each other." Sarah started to cry uncontrollably, as Darjeeling hugged her again. "Darjeeling, it's like a dark hole in your mind and if you stare into it for long you're swallowed by the deep abyss and you can't get out. Your body can't be controlled, your chest tightens, sweat pours uncontrollably, as your tears rain down your face. A… and all you can do is feel anything and everything, that's what I can say what grief is like." Sarah murmured incoherently into Darjeeling's ear then placed the china pot of ashes on the pew next to her.

"I can tell you Sarah there is nothing to be ashamed of. I'm always here if you need me." Darjeeling let go and took a step back.

"Your brother was a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma. Very much like you Sarah. But he did say something that I hope is true and I only dream is a possibility." Darjeeling calmly said to her, staring down at her deep into Sarah sore eyes. Sarah stared back after wiping away the tears from her cheek with her now damp sleeve. "These past months I've rigorously tested you, but you rarely failed me, your spirit to fight on is something that I could never match. Even when you did fail me you grew stronger from it like an oak tree" Darjeeling said with unwavering pride.

"How can it be that we say so much without words," Darjeeling spoke in a way Sarah had never heard before, like warm caramel. She slowly moved forward towards her become closer every passing second with unbroken eye contact on each other. Sarah closed her eyes for an instant, and then it happened - the soft impact onto Sarah's lips. She opened her eyes with a flutter to see Darjeeling's head tilted at a slight angle to the side. Sarah raised her hand onto Darjeeling cheek. She could feel the emanating heat, she knew Darjeeling was blushing without having to look.

After a couple of brief moments, she parted the contact from Darjeeling. "But how did...?"

Darjeeling raised a finger placing it on Sarah's moist lips. "Sssh, when you know you know and anyway if this wasn't you for you, you would have at least a boyfriend by now, which you could say the same for me. Please, we're going to be holding everyone up." She held out her hand. Sarah looked down at then slid her hand atop of hers. With Sarah's free hand she picked up the pot, they began to walk to the main door of the chapel.

* * *

Four large pictures of smiling young girls were held up by wooden easels. In front of every picture was a small china vase on a plinth; each in a different style from the last. One was painted with beautiful coloured flowers; one with pink love hearts and quotes of songs; the other with tanks, with quotes of famous generals painted in a camouflage paint scheme; the last was pure white with the only indentation being a small piece of writing saying 'She can rest forever without being disturbed.'

The gymnasium was well-lit, but the mood inside was one filled with darkness with people wearing black as well. It didn't give the impression of a happy event. Every available space was full of chairs. The room was a mix of emotions, some rather sombre and respectful as other cried their hearts out as they walked up to see their friends, daughter, colleagues, cousin and lovers to say one last goodbye to the ones they loved.

Miho, wearing a black dress walked towards the vases. She looked at one then up at the picture. "I'm sorry Hana you were the best gunner and kindest girl in the whole school, you would always make me smile, when you would bring me such adorable flowers for when I had a bad day, which would always cheer me up." She moved to the next vase.

"Saori, I'm sorry. You would be so happy right now by all the boys that said that they admired you, and that had wished that they were brave enough to ask you out. The advice you gave me for love will always be in my heart and I will follow it to the letter, well most of it." She took a couple of steps to the next vase.

"I'm sorry Yukari. My go-to spy, my little historian. The girl who would make me laugh and smile, your knowledge and skill helped us save this school. Your loving parents always made me feel at home. You would never let me down." She finally moved to the last vase.

"I'm sorry Mako. You were the world's best driver; no one could beat you. Of only you weren't so sleepy all the time you could have easily worked into any Sensha-Dō school and they would have accepted you off the bat. Your grandma is extremely proud of you. The only positive is at least you get to see your parents again."

Miho looked around to all the people a few seated and others stood, as some made eye contact with her. She felt so much remorse and as she finally saw the emergence exit, she quickly made her way over there, pushing it open. Miho walked alone to her favourite spot, where all five of them went to see the sunset. She placed her hands on the railing then looked up. The view didn't disappoint. The light dancing atop of the smooth tranquil waters, the silhouettes of birds proudly floated in the peach sky, as the sun was slowly being swallowed by the ocean.

Everything seemed to overwhelm her as her knees buckled and she crashed to the floor with her face awash with tears.

"Miho get up!" a voice shouted at her. She looked behind her. Maho, still in her electric wheelchair, with Erika moving alongside her ex-commander. "You will not fall at this final hurdle... you're better than this. Your friends would never want you to fall now, would they!?"

Miho looked over to her sister as she pushed herself off the unforgiving cold concrete floor.

"Your right. I'm not." Miho proclaimed definitely, wiping her face with her arm. "But I miss them so much." Miho looked hard through her blurred vision behind her sister and Erika. She could pick out some familiar bodies with corresponding faces

"We do too Miho; we can never replace them. But we are always going to be there as friends and family" Maho spoke to her.

The faces came into focus. Kay, Nonna, Assam, Katyusha, Naomi, Orange Pekoe, Alisa and Rosehip, still on her crutches with her ankle in plaster, all walked up towards her in unison. They all wrapped their arms around Miho hugging her so that not an inch of Miho was felt unclaimed. She felt that her friends would be happy if they watched down onto her from the heavens.

* * *

The party to commemorate James had finally kicked off. It was at a large '20s designed manor house, with large open fields at the back and beautifully kept water fountain in the front, with a large gravel path for cars to drive on.

The adults would be having fun with alcoholic beverages downstairs with waiters catering to them with small nibbles on silver trays. Meanwhile, everyone under the age of 18 was upstairs in a colossal games room, with pizzas, burgers, chocolates, ice cream, anything a child could dream off for a perfect meal was there. It was also set up with game consoles, large TVs, some tablets and even a pool table. Some of the younger adults decided to stay here and have fun rather than schmooze downstairs.

Some boys pointed at Sarah. She noticed them pointing but casually waved it off and continued chatting with some of the other girls for the different schools.

One of the boys, pressured from the other boys, walked over to her as he stretched his neck and took a deep breath before speaking. "Oh, sorry to bother you. Hi, I'm Joseph, Joseph Green" he said rather timidly in a hybrid between a Scottish and German dialect. His blond hair was glinting. "I'm from Prussian High and we think James was a big loss to us, even though we never meet him. He was a great inspiration to us all" he said, stumbling over his own words. She smiled at him and she looked onto his purple eyes, then scanned his face reading his facial expressions.

"Thank you, Mr Green. That means a lot" she said back, rather elegantly, to see what kind of a response she would receive.

He seemed to then relax a little. "Well, what I'm trying to say is that, if you ever need someone to talk to, over tea or coffee or whatever. I'm always here" he said, trying to match her calmness.

She just smiled back, straightening her black beret as she sighed. "Sorry Mr Green, but I have to decline your offer of a date, as sadly men are not my first point of call, for a long-term relationship. But I'll always be available for a chat whenever you are available as you seem like an intriguing person to speak too in regards to Tankery matters." She spoke back in a crisp explanatory tone.

He looked at her blankly for a couple of seconds as his mouth opened and then shut again abruptly, his face turning a pinkish hue. He turned and walked away defeated.

A small girl no older than fifteen walked over to Sarah. She looked a little befuddled by everything happening around her. "Hi English Breakfast, I'm a really big fan of yours, what you did in this last battle is really amazing. I wish I could be like you."

"Thank you, that means a lot. I'm not that good though" Sarah smiled back.

"I've got you a present just for you and Darjeeling as you two are my heroes and idols."

Sarah walked over to Darjeeling who was sitting in a chair watching some of the boys playing pool, sipping on a cup of tea. The girl followed in Sarah's footsteps, her head down trying to be hidden and not noticed. "Darjeeling, someone's got you and I a present" Sarah said, looking down at her.

Darjeeling placed her teacup on the side of a small table next to her. She stood and looked at her with a warm and welcoming smile. "Oh, I love a present. Who's it from?"

The girl moved from behind Sarah and waved rather shyly towards Darjeeling. "It's a secret one I don't want everyone to see it; only for you two. Come, come." She took Sarah's hand and pulled her outside onto the balcony with Darjeeling walking behind.

The crescent moon and the twinkling stars against the black canvas night was a beautiful sight to see, like natural piece fantastical art with the icy breeze flowing over the manor house. Darjeeling closed the balcony door and the noise slowly dissipated as she walked up to join Sarah a couple of meters ahead of the door. No one else was outside, even on the ground floor; they were all alone. The girl turned slowly to face the two excited girls as the moments passed, with Sarah and Darjeeling looking expectedly at the girl.

"So, what is it then?" Sarah asked, excitement wrapped in her voice with condensation expelling from her mouth.

"I'm so sorry ... I have to do this. I really don't want to but I have too" the girl said rather begrudgingly looking towards Sarah and then over to Darjeeling.

The smiles vanished from their faces as they looked at the girl who revealed her present to them. Sarah's fingertips wriggled by her side, finding Darjeeling's hand. She slowly grasped her whole hand onto Darjeeling's and squeezed it hard. Darjeeling could feel Sarah's whole body shaking and her hand full of cold sweat. Darjeeling stood strong and resolute, looking at the deadly object that the girl had in her hand. The young girl's silver ring was shimmering in the lunar glow mixed with the distant stars pouring their light from the far parts of the universe.

"Sarah..." Darjeeling said in a desperate and compassionate whisper. "... I've always loved you."

The End.

* * *

**I really do hope you enjoyed the story; I know it's not the best story on the platform but hopefully it was something new and interesting. A big thank you goes to everyone on the Fanfic discord server with all their help nut mostly the biggest thanks goes to Sharkycast (Trust me check his stories out they are so under rated) who has made this story even better by proofreading and editing the story making it a way better than what it would have been.**

**If you wish to join the code is BSdFMH3 you can find me on there and even see my future plans for stories while you're at it. So again, thank you and goodbye. **


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